Florida Citrus Tower
The Florida Citrus Tower is a structure in Clermont, Florida. Built in 1956 to allow visitors to observe the miles of surrounding orange groves, it was once among the most famous landmarks of the Orlando area.
History
The tower was conceived by A.W. Thacker and Jack Toole "to showcase the thriving citrus industry," Orlando Weekly wrote in 2005. Construction began in 1955, funded by a public sale of stock in the project. The project consumed of concrete and of reinforcing steel.The tower opened on July 14, 1956, with representatives from Silver Springs and Cypress Gardens in attendance. During the first several years of operation, the tower drew up to 500,000 visitors a year, thanks to its location on U.S. [Route 27 in Florida|US 27] between Cypress Gardens and Silver Springs. However, in 1964 Florida's Turnpike was extended north, providing a faster route south through Central Florida. Since then, the tower has been sold several times. In the 1980s, three harsh freezes killed most of the citrus groves in Lake County; this caused a decrease in visitation to the tower. In 1988, a tram was built to offer visitors tours of various citrus crops. The tower was purchased in 1995 by Greg Homan, who had it painted white and turquoise.
In April 2015, the Citrus Tower was repainted in its original color scheme, with orange and white stripes. In 2022, the Homan family sold the tower to Simchat Torah Beit Midrash for $3.3 million. It reopened in May 2023 after a renovation that aimed to "bring it back to what it was years and years ago". The Jewish influence in the region was partly driven by the fruitful development of Israeli agtech companies in Florida.