GOTHA

German Inspiration

Sandwiched in between Ocoee and the town of Windermere, Gotha is a historical hidden gem. It’s generally located south of Old Winter Garden Road, north of Windy Ridge Road, east of South Apopka Vineland Road and west of Maguire Road.

The Orange County rural settlement was established in 1885 when German Henry A. Hempel came to the area and founded Gotha — which is named after his native homeland in Gotha, Germany. In fact, the main street through Gotha — Hempel Avenue — is named for him.

Hempel first came to Central Florida in 1879 and began purchasing land. Just a few years later, he’d amassed 1,000 acres and created a town plat, although the town was never incorporated. Hempel established a sawmill to generate lumber, which allowed for the construction of a general store — today’s Yellow Dog Eats restaurant — a post office, school, community hall and more. The sawmill also provided orange crates for the booming citrus industry. In its heyday, Gotha had schools, churches, a railroad, social hall and the sawmill.

Joining Hempel in Gotha was horticulturalist and naturalist Dr. Henry Nehrling, who began purchasing land in 1885. Nehrling bought more than 65 acres to establish the 25-acre Palm Cottage Gardens, which became a popular tourist destination in the early 20th century. There, he developed an experimental testing facility to help establish Florida’s ornamental horticulture by testing more than 3,000 plants.

— DANIELLE HENDRIX

NOTABLE NAMES

n Henry A. Hempel was the German native who founded Gotha and named it after his homeland.

n Dr. Henry Nehrling was a horticulturalist and naturalist who established the Palm Cottage Gardens, known today as Nehrling Gardens.

SIGNATURE EVENTS

Caladiums, Canvases and Coffee. Guests of this event can take a morning stroll through Nehrling Gardens while enjoying coffee, mimosas, pastries and live music. Plein-air artists showcase their work, and attendees can browse a selection of original art available for purchase.

Holiday Amaryllis Festival. As Nehrling Gardens’ signature event, this December event features beautiful and rare amaryllis bulbs for sale, as well as nature-themed vendors, food, music and crafts for children.

SERVICE WITH A SMILE

n Cable/internet: Spectrum, (407) 291-2500; DIRECTV, (866) 906-2621; DISH, (844) 306-7067; AT&T, (866) 817-0776; CenturyLink, (877) 862-9343; EarthLink, (844) 903-3107 n Power/electric: Duke Energy, (800) 700-8744 n Fire: Orange County Fire Rescue, (407) 836-9000 n Police: Orange County Sheriff’s Office, (407) 2547000 n Trash: Orange County Solid Waste, (407) 8366601 n Utilities (water/sewer): Orange County Utilities, (407) 836-5515

LOCAL LEADER

Orange County District 1 Commissioner Nicole Wilson Because much of Horizon West is unincorporated Orange County, Commissioner Nicole Wilson is the county representative for Horizon West. Wilson is a licensed attorney and was elected to the County Commission in 2020. Email her at district1@ocfl.net.