Welcome to Apple Valley

Just west of downtown Altamonte Springs sits Apple Valley, a single, close-knit neighborhood defined by four leafy streets: Candlewick, Lamplighter, Bayberry, and Hillcrest. Built in the early 1970s, our homes rest on ground that once hosted frontier homesteads, jazz-age tourists, and decades of family picnics beside a celebrated spring.

From Federal Patent to Citrus Grove (1880 1919)

In 1880 President James A. Garfield signed a land patent transferring 159 acrestodays Apple Valleyto physician Dr. Washington Kilmer for the token sum of four dollars. Kilmer planted citrus, extolled the mineral water bubbling from Hoosier Spring, and helped establish the tiny settlement of Altamont (the e in Altamonte arrived later).

By the turn of the century a sandy wagon track linked Sanford to the spring, where families filled jugs, cooled livestock, and picnicked beneath sabal palms.

Sanlando Springs Tropical Park (1920s 1960s)

During Floridas roaring-twenties land boom, developer Frank Haithcox platted nine streets, poured a concrete swimming pool to capture the spring, and rebranded the resort Sanlando Springs Tropical Parka nod to its midpoint between Sanford and Orlando.

Saturday jazz bands, a forty-foot metal slide, and striped cabanas drew crowds through the Depression and World War II, making Sanlando one of Central Floridas most beloved day-trip destinations.

Apple Valley Takes Shape (1970 1973)

When highway tourism pulled visitors elsewhere, the resort declined. In 1970 builder Robert Larson purchased part of the old plat, trimmed the grid to four gentle curves, and christened the subdivision Apple Valley.

Ranch-style homes with long driveways, stone fireplaces, and avocado kitchens rose quickly; early residents remember children tunneling through dirt piles while concrete block cured in the July sun.

Todays Neighborhood, Yesterdays Water

The seventy-two-degree water that once cooled jazz-age tourists still flows unseen beneath our streets before joining the Wekiva River basin. Long-time residents say this quiet natural thread gives Apple Valley its lingering sense of calm.

Whether you have just arrived or grew up on these blocks, we hope you feel that connection each time you walk under Candlewicks oaks, greet a neighbor on Bayberry, or watch Hillcrests sunset sky.

Our Four Roads at a Glance

• Candlewick Road Arched live-oak canopy and legendary Halloween dcor.
• Lamplighter Road Wide front lawns and a shortcut to Sanlando Parks trailhead.
• Bayberry Road Garden beds, friendly waves, and the hum of summer cicadas.
• Hillcrest Road Gentle rise, evening breezes, and picture-perfect sunsets.

Why the HOA Exists

The Apple Valley Homeowners Association is a volunteer board that cares for entrance landscaping, street-sign lighting, common-area insurance, and neighborhood records while serving as our collective voice with Seminole County. Annual dues stay modest because neighbors lend their time and talents.

Questions, old photos, or ideas? Write to us at info@applevalleyhoa.org.

Last updated 13 June 2025