PINE HILLS, Fla. – Pine Hills, a neighborhood on the west side of Orlando, has seen its fair share of growth and transformation.
Once considered a shining example of suburban success, the community’s history is as rich and complex as its diverse population.
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From its early days as a destination for middle-class families to its current status as a minority-majority community, Pine Hills is a place where both pride and painful memories coexist.
Rise and fall of Pine Hills’ golden era
In the 1950s, Pine Hills was a beacon of prosperity.
Developed by British immigrant Gordon Barnett, the area quickly became one of Orlando’s first suburban neighborhoods, attracting workers and families seeking a better life.
The community thrived, with attractions like a country club, a golf course and a Hilton hotel where even Walt Disney himself once stayed. The steakhouse in the area was also considered one of the best in town, drawing both locals and tourists.
Stewart Dunaway, whose family moved to Pine Hills in the 1950s, remembers this time fondly. His parents bought one of the homes in the area when it was a thriving, middle-class suburb. Dunaway even wrote a book called History of Pine Hills, Orange County, Florida.
“Back then, it was a simpler life. We were the baby boomers,” Dunaway said.
The upbringing was marked by drive-in movies and trips to the store.
However, as the decades passed, Pine Hills began to feel the impact of national trends, including the desegregation of public schools and the shifting racial demographics.
Dunaway’s family, like many others, left the area, and Pine Hills entered a new chapter of its history, marked by economic decline and racial tensions.
Changing faces of Pine Hills
JC Walker, a longtime Pine Hills resident, vividly remembers the racial tensions that marked his early years in the neighborhood.
He moved to Pine Hills in 1990, raising his children in a yard where he now tends a mini farm.
In high school, Walker was one of the first African-Americans desegregated into Evans High School. At the time, he lived in Washington Shores.
“I’m very proud of this place,” said Walker, standing amid rows of peppers he’s growing in his garden.
But his experience with the neighborhood is layered with complexity.
For Walker, Pine Hills represents both opportunity and division. He recalls a time when racial lines were sharply drawn.
“There was a racial divide. There were certain areas you weren’t welcome in. If you crossed those lines, you had to deal with the consequences,” said Walker, reflecting on the struggles faced by many African-American residents in the 1970s.
Walker’s story is part of a larger trend that began in the 1980s and 1990s, when many white middle-class families left the neighborhood in what’s often referred to as “white flight.”
As African-American families began to move in, the real estate market shifted. Property values fell and businesses closed.
Despite the challenges, Walker remains hopeful. As he nurtures his garden, he reflects on the parallels between gardening and the community he’s a part of.
“Gardens and communities are very similar,” he said. “They’re both projects. You never really finish. It’s an experiment. We’re still trying to figure it out.”
Walker believes that despite the hurdles, Pine Hills still has the potential to heal and grow.
The neighborhood’s evolution, marked by both triumphs and struggles, is far from over.
“We need to acknowledge the fact that things are not as they were. We need to find out how to live on this planet together,” Walker said. “How do we do it? I think we can.”