Tavares, fl

The town of Tavares is nestled in between Leesburg and Mount Dora , north of Orlando.
It sits in the mouth of the Dora Canal- some say the most beautiful canal system in the world! The town gets it's name from a popular Portuguese surname.

Founded by Newspaper baron , Major Alexander H. St. Clair Abrams, in 1880 the town's economy was supported by the citrus crops as many neighboring towns. Alexander had high hopes that this sleep little town would one day be the Capital of Florida, however history proved him wrong as the town became the seat of Lake County.

Alexander Abrams ( for short) was instrumental in bringing the railroad through Tavares to Orlando. Not to be outdone he donated the land and built the first church in Tavares . The congregation attended it's first sermon in 1885. Built in the Gothic design the church was enlarged some 100 years later,