Welcome to Somerset – A Williamsburg Community.
In 1984 Somerset ground to a halt when developer William J. Levitt, credited as being the father of the suburbs when he developed the massive Levittowns in the Northeast after World War II, launched Williamsburg in 1978 when he acquired Orangewood, a 3,100 – acre planned development bounded by the Bee Line Expressway (528) on the north, Interstate 4 on the west and U.S. 441 on the east. Over the next five years, he built and sold about 2,000 of the 10,000 homes planned for the project.
Unfortunately, problems cropped up and Orange County halted construction in 1984 when a moratorium was imposed. Orange County shut down Bill Levitt’s development of Somerset including failure to build Central Florida Parkway. In 1987 Unibilt completed negotiations with Levitt and finished the 85 houses that were left vacant by Levitt. Over the next few years Somerset Village was completed with an additional 356 homes for a total of 401 homes. The Somerset clubhouse was constructed in 1987,managed by a volunteer Board of Directors,offers many amenities including a swimming pool, tennis courts, as well as lawn maintenance. Homeowners association dues are modest in comparison to the nearby villages.
Today Williamsburg, a suburb of Orlando has a population of 7,968 and is one of the best places to live in Florida. In the 1970’s, the area was surrounded by animals, orange groves and undeveloped land. Living in Williamsburg offers residents a suburban feel where many young professionals who work in the tourism industry along with retirees enjoy the tranquility of a safe neighborhood.