Ivanhoe Has History: Gaston Edwards

Gaston Holcombe Edwards was one of the physicians who helped shape a growing Orlando. In the early 1900s, he played a role in establishing the city’s first modern hospital, Orange General Hospital, which opened in 1918 and would eventually become today’s Orlando Health.

At the same time, Orlando was investing in another essential public service: municipal utilities. The Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC) was established in 1923, and one of its earliest projects was a water treatment plant on Lake Ivanhoe. Beginning in 1924, the plant used water from Lake Ivanhoe and Lake Highland to supply drinking water to Orlando’s growing population.

Although remembered first as a physician, Edwards was also active in civic life during a period when many of Orlando’s doctors helped guide the city’s public institutions. His career reflected an era when healthcare, infrastructure, and community leadership often went hand in hand.

Following Edwards’ death in 1934, the City of Orlando dedicated Gaston Edwards Park along the shores of Lake Ivanhoe in 1935. A memorial in the park describes him as a man “whose vision gave the park beauty” and recognizes his “preeminent civic service to his community.”

Today, Gaston Edwards Park offers more than a scenic place to relax. It also serves as a reminder of a time when the foundations of two of Orlando’s most recognizable institutions, Orlando Health and OUC, were taking shape, with Lake Ivanhoe at the center of that story.