What is the Old Northwest Historic District?

A National Register residential historic district in DeLand, Florida, preserving homes built from the 1880s through the 1930s north and west of the Downtown commercial core — including founder Henry A. DeLand's 1886 home (now a museum).

What architectural styles are in the Old Northwest?

Primarily Victorian, Queen Anne, Colonial Revival, and Craftsman, with Florida-vernacular and Prairie School examples.

Can I go inside the historic homes?

Only the Henry A. DeLand House Museum (137 W Michigan Ave) is open to the public as a museum. All other contributing homes are private residences — please respect private property and stay on public sidewalks.

Is the Stetson Mansion in the Old Northwest Historic District?

The Stetson Mansion sits at 1031 Camphor Lane on the western edge of historic residential DeLand. Whether it is a contributing property to the Old Northwest NR district or a separate individually-listed NR property should be verified from the National Register database before publishing definitively.

Can I take a walking tour of the Old Northwest?

Yes — see the self-guided Old Northwest walking tour, a 1.5-mile loop hitting the district's best contributing homes in about 60 minutes.

How is the Old Northwest different from the Downtown DeLand Historic District?

The Downtown DeLand Historic District preserves the commercial core (retail, restaurants, Athens Theatre). The Old Northwest Historic District preserves the adjacent residential core (Victorian and Craftsman homes, including Henry DeLand's 1886 house). They are two separate National Register districts.

Old Northwest Historic District

Quick answer: The Old Northwest Historic District is a National Register of Historic Places residential district in DeLand, Florida — preserving Victorian, Queen Anne, and Colonial Revival homes built from 1880s–1930s north and west of Downtown, including founder Henry A. DeLand's 1886 home (now a museum).

Location

Area: West Michigan Avenue corridor and adjacent residential blocks, DeLand, FL 32720
Hours: Public streets, 24/7
Get directions on Google Maps

How the district formed

When Henry DeLand platted the town in 1876, he reserved the north and west-of-Downtown blocks for residential development. The earliest homes went up alongside the commercial core in the 1880s — including Henry DeLand's own 1886 home at 137 W Michigan Ave, which remains standing and operates today as the Henry A. DeLand House Museum [S23].

Through the 1890s–1920s, DeLand's Gilded Age wealth — drawn by the Stetson University campus, the winter-resort tourism economy, and the agricultural boom — built out the Old Northwest with the region's best examples of Victorian, Queen Anne, and Colonial Revival residential architecture. The Great Freeze of 1894–95 delayed but did not stop development; many of the largest homes date to the 1900s recovery decade.

Post-1930s, new residential construction shifted to streetcar-suburb patterns east and south of Downtown. The Old Northwest was largely complete by World War II and has remained remarkably intact thanks to preservation-overlay zoning and owner-stewardship of the individual properties.

Key homes in the Old Northwest

Henry A. DeLand House Museum

137 W Michigan Ave · 1886

Founder Henry A. DeLand's own home. Operated as a museum by the West Volusia Historical Society — period rooms, DeLand family artifacts, and rotating exhibits on West Volusia history.[S23]

Deep page

Stetson Mansion

1031 Camphor Ln · 1886

The district's most famous home (on the western edge of historic residential DeLand) — John B. Stetson's 1886 winter estate. Florida's first luxury estate; hosted Thomas Edison. Tours-and-events venue; not overnight lodging.[S13]

Deep page

The West Volusia Historical Society holds the full National Register nomination with every contributing-property address, construction year, and architect attribution. Additional 8–12 verified contributing homes can be listed here once cross-checked against the NR document.

Architectural styles

Victorian / Queen Anne: Turrets, wraparound porches, and decorative spindlework — the 1880s–1900s core.
Colonial Revival: Symmetrical facades and columned porches — 1900s–1920s.
Craftsman Bungalow: 1910s–1930s — exposed rafter tails and low-pitched roofs.
Prairie School influences: Rare but present — horizontal massing and deep eaves.
Florida Cracker vernacular: Wood-frame early examples; a handful remain.

Preservation today

Local historic-district overlay zoning — DeLand's municipal code restricts inappropriate alterations and demolition.
Individual-property stewardship — the district's homes are overwhelmingly owner-occupied, the strongest preservation signal.
West Volusia Historical Society — advocacy and archival support.
Preservation grants — facade-grant programs available for eligible contributing properties.

Visiting the district today

Walking tour: Old Northwest Walking Tour — a 1.5-mile self-guided loop through the district's best examples.
Accessibility: sidewalks are generally accessible; all contributing properties are private residences (no interior access).
Photography etiquette: homes are private; stay on public sidewalks; no trespassing on private lawns or driveways.
Henry A. DeLand House Museum is the only interior-access contributing building — open Wed–Sat 10a–3p.

Old Northwest walking tour Henry DeLand House Museum Stetson Mansion

All DistrictsDeLand's three National Register historic districts.Go there LandmarksEvery signature Historic DeLand landmark.Go there Walking Tours9 self-guided walking tours.Go there HistoryThe story of Historic DeLand.Go there

Frequently asked questions

What is the Old Northwest Historic District?: A National Register residential historic district in DeLand, Florida, preserving homes built from the 1880s through the 1930s north and west of the Downtown commercial core — including founder Henry A. DeLand's 1886 home (now a museum). [S23]
What architectural styles are in the Old Northwest?: Primarily Victorian, Queen Anne, Colonial Revival, and Craftsman, with Florida-vernacular and Prairie School examples.
Can I go inside the historic homes?: Only the Henry A. DeLand House Museum (137 W Michigan Ave) is open to the public as a museum. All other contributing homes are private residences — please respect private property and stay on public sidewalks.
Is the Stetson Mansion in the Old Northwest Historic District?: The Stetson Mansion sits at 1031 Camphor Lane on the western edge of historic residential DeLand. Whether it is a contributing property to the Old Northwest NR district or a separate individually-listed NR property should be verified from the National Register database before publishing definitively.
Can I take a walking tour of the Old Northwest?: Yes — see the self-guided Old Northwest walking tour, a 1.5-mile loop hitting the district's best contributing homes in about 60 minutes.
How is the Old Northwest different from the Downtown DeLand Historic District?: The Downtown DeLand Historic District preserves the commercial core (retail, restaurants, Athens Theatre). The Old Northwest Historic District preserves the adjacent residential core (Victorian and Craftsman homes, including Henry DeLand's 1886 house). They are two separate National Register districts.