A 104-year-old Orlando mansion built for one of the city’s early physicians is back on the market, carrying a lavish past and a slightly less lavish price than it did this spring. The seven-bedroom home is now listed for $2.59 million after a $120,000 reduction.
Built in 1922 for Dr. John McEwan, the residence sits near the former site of Orlando’s first hospital and reflects the city’s early medical history in unusually personal fashion. Orlando Weekly reports that McEwan treated patients at the city’s earliest hospitals before building his own downtown medical practice.
The current listing describes a three-story home with roughly eight bathrooms, a handcrafted staircase, antique brass hardware, decorative ceiling details and a wood-burning fireplace. Outside, the property includes a resort-style pool, entertainment area, summer kitchen, private guesthouse and Tesla charging capability, according to Realtor.com.
From Tuberculosis Sanitarium To Downtown Hospital
McEwan came to Orlando in 1906 to practice at a tuberculosis sanitarium, then left in 1911 to establish a private practice of his own. His three-story, 20-room hospital stood at Central Boulevard and Magnolia Avenue, and the building still exists today as the Stagger Inn sports bar, according to Orlando Weekly.
McEwan was also connected to the Cottage Hospital, which opened around 1892 on Anderson Street between Delaney Avenue and Lake Avenue. The Orange County Regional History Center says the hospital began as seven cottages and was later taken over by the Episcopal Diocese, becoming Church and Home Hospital before eventually being renamed St. Luke’s.
The doctor’s influence extended beyond his own patients. McEwan and Dr. C.D. Christ helped establish the Orange County Medical Society in 1908, while records from the organization provide a window into how Orlando’s medical community operated before modern hospital systems took over.
Historic Details Meet A Very Modern Price Point
The home first appeared on the market in March for $2.71 million before the price was reduced to its current figure. The listing places it in Orlando’s Cherokee Historic District and notes recent improvements including a slate roof, copper gutters, upgraded electrical work and multiple HVAC systems.
For the next owner, the property offers more than a grand staircase and a pool: It comes with a direct connection to the doctors, hospitals and civic institutions that helped shape early Orlando. That history is not preserved behind a museum rope, but folded into a private residence now seeking its next chapter.
