Lake Lotela
Lake Lotela is a natural, 802-acre freshwater lake situated near the southeast corner of Avon Park in Highlands County, Florida.[usgs-02269790] The lake, which has a maximum depth of 36 feet, is a significant geographic anchor for historic settlement and land booms south of the town core.[usgs-02269790]
Settlement and Development
During the 1890s, Harlan Page Davidson acquired land along the lake’s eastern shore, envisioning a hotel and golf course.[harvest-2026-09-19] The site eventually became the home of the Pinecrest Hotel, constructed in 1926 as the clubhouse for the Pinecrest Country Club. His son, Col. Royal Page Davidson—a pioneer of mechanized warfare—subsequently resided at an estate known as “Hollyhurst” on the lake until his death in 1943.[harvest-2026-09-19]
The lake’s northern shore was targeted by speculators during the 1920s land boom. The Lake Lotela Garden Subdivision (Plat Book 2, Page 51, Highlands County) was platted along Lakeside Drive with a dedicated public park. Like many boom developments, it remained unbuilt; its public park was formally vacated by the Florida Legislature in 1943, severing the land from municipal limits and returning it to citrus cultivation.[lof-1943-22204]
References
- usgs-02269790 — U.S. Geological Survey. USGS 02269790 Lake Lotela Near Avon Park, FL. 19 September 2026. https://waterdata.usgs.gov/monitoring-location/02269790/
- lof-1943-22204 — Legislature of the State of Florida. Chapter 22204 (No. 670), Laws of Florida 1943: An Act Vacating, Abandoning and Closing That Certain Park in Lake Lotela Garden Subdivision. 24 May 1943. http://edocs.dlis.state.fl.us/fldocs/leg/actsflorida/1943/LOF1943V2SpecialActs.pdf
- harvest-2026-09-19 — Web Search Harvest. Harvest: Lake Lotela and Highlands County Clerk Public Records. 19 September 2026. none
Related
- Entity: Pinecrest Hotel
- Finding: Unbuilt Boom Subdivisions, Paper Plats, and Land Liquidations in Avon Park (1921–1943)
Where this comes from
- Evidence
- corroborated — More than one independent source agrees.
- Review
- unverified — Drafted from sources but not yet checked by a volunteer.
- Rights
- society
Sources
- U.S. Geological Survey, USGS 02269790 Lake Lotela Near Avon Park, FL (2026)
- Legislature of the State of Florida, Chapter 22204 (No. 670), Laws of Florida 1943: An Act Vacating, Abandoning and Closing That Certain Park in Lake Lotela Garden Subdivision (1943)
- Web Search Harvest, Harvest: Lake Lotela and Highlands County Clerk Public Records (none) (2026)
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