Recent History
On March 31, 2000, the Town of Orchid received official recognition from the US Postal Service and Orchid, FL 32963-9504 became an official mailing address. In March 2001, the Press Journal reported that the Town had grown by 1,300% in the last decade.
In 2001, the first Town Manager, Ernie Polverari, passed away. Between then and now, five more Town Managers served Orchid, namely; David Jakubiak, Maria Aguilar, Deb Branwell, Noah Powers, and Cherry Stowe (present). The position of Town Clerk was the Town's first official position and it remains an important one today, currently the position is held by Jane Garcia.
The Town of Orchid is almost entirely "built out" at this time. Few remaining residential buildable lots remain. The A1A commercial property has been developed in recent years and the 510 commercial property remains undeveloped.
The Town never reached the proportions originally predicted by Robert Haines IV. There are around 310 single-family residences and 10 condominium buildings. The Town boasts around 680 residents during the winter season; far fewer than once forecast, but certainly, vastly more than the population of 7 of its very early days. The Town remains one of Florida’s most scenic and desirable places to live.
