sold groceries, hardware, building material, fertilizers, stoves, crockery, glassware, hay, and grain. The opera house, on the second floor, was a cultural center of Eustis and a wide swath of Central Florida. The eighteen-room house at the corner of Bay Street and Bates Avenue today houses the Eustis Historical Museum and Preservation Society, and takes visitors back to the gracious Lake County lifestyle of one hundred-odd years ago. Dr. J. H. Potter, the founding pastor of the First Presbyterian Church, encouraged the development of Eustis Seminary in 1886, under the direction of Professor Byron F. Marsh (for whom Marsh Memorial Park is named). The seminary served students from first through twelfth grades. Its buildings were located near the present site of Eustis High School on Washington Avenue. Struggling financially, the school closed around 1895. By the early 1900s, Eustis was already a winter vacation spot for many. The Ocklawaha Hotel catered to the wealthy. Eustis continues to be a popular winter destination. National historic status There are several locations in Eustis which have been included in the National Register of Historic Places. They are: Clifford House Eustis Commercial Historic District Ferran Park and the Alice McClelland Memorial Bandshell Gould Hyde Norton House Moses J. Taylor House Purdy Villa William Kimbrough Pendleton House Woman's Club of Eustis Notable people Edgar James Banks, diplomat, antiquarian and novelist Tzimon Barto, classical pianist Rod Brewer, baseball player Joe Burnett, NFL professional football player (New York Giants, Pittsburgh Steelers) Jeff Coffey, musician, joined rock group "Chicago" in October 2016 Rod Ferrell, convicted murderer Anthony Fieldings, American football player Kenny Green, basketball player Richard Henyard, convicted murderer David Hobby, photojournalist, founder of Strobist.com Solomon Jones, NBA professional basketball player Kathryn Joosten, actress Hughie Lee-Smith, artist Jonathan Lucroy, professional baseball player Kristin Ludecke, beauty queen Thomas McClary (singer/songwriter), founding member of the Commodores Chris Okey, baseball player Michael Ray, country music singer Jon Schneck, guitarist in alternative rock band Relient K John Robert Schrieffer, physicist, winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics (1972) Brady Singer, baseball player Patricia Sullivan, political activist David Walker, astronaut Gunner Wright, actor References External links City of Eustis official website Cities in Lake County, Florida Greater Orlando Cities in Florida