MOUNT DORA, Fla. – If you've ever been to Mount Dora, you've probably felt like you've taken a step back in time.
It's a small town with about 13,000 people that has become a tourist attraction because of its unique architecture, vintage shops and landmarks.
It's also known for being a popular winter retreat for hunters, fishermen and boaters -- even for Calvin Coolidge, the 30th president of the United States, who spent a month there with his wife in January 1930.
"People started settling here right after the civil war," Gary McKechnie, the author of "A Brief History of Mount Dora," said.
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To this day, the town's essence remains untouchable.
"It's a quaint little town (with) quaint little shops. You will not see in this town, 7-Elevens, or all of that kind of stuff," pastor Gary Marshall said.
McKechnie said the town's community spirit has helped keep Mount Dora's identity and preserve many of its landmarks.
"You'll see all this sort of New England architecture -- this mix of tutor architecture. Queen Anne -- it's all different styles and that's because people from all over the country were coming to Mount Dora," McKechnie said.
The John P. Donnelly house, built in 1893, catches your eye right away. It pretty much looks like it did when originally built.
"J.P. Donnelly and his wife Annie were two of the largest landholders in town and J. P. built this for his wife, Annie," McKechnie said.
McKechnie said it's a perfect example -- probably one of a handful of examples -- of steamboat Gothic architecture.
"When you look at it, I mean, it looks like you could put paddles on this and run it down a river," he said. "It looks like a steamboat."
Just a few buildings down the street is the oldest one: The Congregational Church of Mount Dora, which was built in 1886.
Inside, the altar hasn't changed much, nor has the pulpit, but the bell tower's steeple was once at risk of toppling over. It's currently under restoration.
"There's some termite damage, but there's no live activity, so everything that we found can be pretty easily repaired," Samuel Thornburg, a contractor hired to fix it up, said.
Marshall said that's what saved them from taking the bell tower off the church.
Thornburg, who was born and raised in Lake County, said it's been labor of love for him.
"It makes me proud. It's my community. Anything that I can do to help my community, I'm there for it," Thornburg said.
Once the restoration is completed, the church will celebrate by letting everyone have a tug at the bell rope.
"The community gave money after money after money as we raised the funds to get this repaired, so my payback to the community is, come ring your bell," Marshall said.
And right in the heart of town, is the Lakeside Inn, the first hotel in the city. The original owner, Dick Edgerton, fought the construction of Highway 441 to keep it from being built in the middle of the city.
"He thought, 'What is it gonna benefit me if we have this big road and I have all this business but it destroys the town?'" McKechnie said.
It's a close-knit community where locals are seen enjoying a game in the town's park or a walk around downtown. It has year-round festivals for pretty much any occasion that gather thousands, which is why Mount Dora takes pride in calling itself the Festival City.