In 1911, John Calvin “Cal” Palmer and Dr. J. Howard Johnson formed the Windermere Improvement Company and purchased all the lots of Windermere, then worked to make it a destination for people escaping harsh northern winters. Johnson returned to his home in Wauseon, Ohio, to advertise Windermere, while Palmer remained in Florida to develop and sell the lots. Appointed postmaster in 1911, Palmer built this building that same year and operated the post office and his businesses from it. Until the Windermere Town Hall was built in 1922, many local government meetings were held there. Palmer was active in local government, serving on the town council for 17 years, as the first town council president for 11 years, and as mayor for 2 years. As a business and community leader, he founded the Windermere Citrus Growers Association in 1920 and was a member of the Florida Citrus Exchange from 1929 to 1943. The Cal Palmer Memorial Building later served various public and private organizations, including as community meeting space and as headquarters of the Windermere Shuffle Board Club, and it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.