212 Durrance Street,

This home was built in 1925 by Charlie Johnson, The current owner purchased this house in 2004 from the estate of  Mrs. Mable Keys, a native of Punta Gorda.  Her husband, Arnold "Slim" Keys, ran Keys garage on Taylor Street.  Mable lived in the house for over 60 years until her death in October 2003 at the age of 91.  Mabel was a philanthropist and active member of local organizations including the Punta Gorda Garden Club.  When the current owners, Kathy Sutton, restored the interior of the house they discovered the original yellow pine flooring as well as an original brick fireplace that had been covered over. They have stayed true to this home's design other than some minor kitchen upgrades and newer porch windows installed by a previous owner.  This home and garage withstood Hurricane Charley with little damage. 

199 West Marion

Abe Ephraim Goldstein was the first merchant in Punta Gorda to build a small furniture store on this site.  In 1887, he also persuaded carpenters working on the new Hotel Punta Gorda to devote one day to building a two-story home next door for his wife and son who were arriving unexpectedly the next day.  The present structure is constructed of patent stone concrete blocks with rusticated faces to mimic stone.  This was the first store constructed with masonry as opposed to wood.  

Over the years many retail establishments have occupied the building including Vasco Peeples’s IGA store during which time Mr. Peeple’s family lived in the upstairs apartment.  Later businesses included a bakery and an ice-cream sandwich shop (Cubby’s).  Cubby's closed in 2023 and a new establishment called Punta Gorda Deli Co. and Mercantile opened in 2023.

115 Gill Street

 

Purchased by Grove Cochran, born in 1834 in New York and a Union Army veteran. He moved to Charlotte Harbor in 1885. He volunteered for a six-year voyage on a whaling ship at age 13; sailed the Great Lakes, worked as a locomotive engineer on the railroad, served under Gen. Sherman in the Civil War and had a bayonet wound as a souvenir. He claimed a pharmacist certification in Arkansas and opened a pharmacy on Marion Avenue upon moving to Punta Gorda. The house currently contains many of its original features and the front door is original. Eyebrow windows, hardwood floors, beadboard throughout and 12 foot ceilings.

 

415 East Virginia Ave.

 

Built in 1925 and home to Jean Cleveland, Punta Gorda's first female city clerk and her son Ulysses S. Cleveland.  Cleveland  died in 1991 at 100 years old.  

In 2021 the city voted against funds contributing to the preservation of the home.  Garrett Kizer, of Charlotte Harbor Construction and current house owner tried to save the home when he realized it wasn't fiscally feasible.  So teaming up with City Council member Jaha Cummings and his mother, Martha Bireda, current director of the Blanchard House Museum, redoubled their efforts and in 2022 they received a grant of $480,000 for the renovation.  The house will be moved from 415 E. Virginia Ave. as an extension to the Blanchard House Museum, 406 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.  It is being used as an educational institution focused on the history, culture and contributions of African Americans in Southwest Florida. (Info from The Daily Sun, 6/19/22)  It had significant damage from Hurricane Ian and is closed while under repair. (9/23)

LaVilla Road

 

When Willian M. Whitten left Punta Gorda in 1899, he was seriously ill.   In Punta Gorda he bought a newly planted pineapple plantation farm one mile east of town.  They were known as sure-fire money makers requiring little investment and or work.  Within two years Whitten regained his health and returned to Indiana to his family.  His wife was seriously ill and he brought the family back to Punta Gorda in hopes she would recover.  He built a new home called Cedar Oaks.  It is the Old Florida style. Pineapples were a new business in Punta Gorda.  Around 1896 a group of leading businessmen, the McAdows among them, began the Solana Pineries Co. and planted their crop east of town.  In 1903 just five acres were cultivated but produced over 2,000 crates of pineapples with a net profit of almost $2,700, a good sum in those days.  In 1902 William Whitten moved to Punta Gorda permanently after previous visits.  His plants began producing in 1909 and he subdivided about 250 acres east of town into 14 lots of various sizes naming the plat Pineapple Centre.  At this time it was the main section of pineapple production in the area.  The Florida Southern Railway built a depot and loading dock there.  It has since been demolished.  William Whitten built a magnificent home near the intersection with Railway Avenue, now LaVilla Road aka Cedar Oaks.  His granddaughter resided there until recently.  Pineapple Centre is located south of East Marion Avenue on Old U.S. 17 and Riverside Drive.  It was damaged during Hurricane Ian and is currently being restored.  A freeze in 1917 dealt the local industry a disastrous blow and rendered the pineapple industry unrecoverable.   

Mr. and Mrs. Aubrey and Olive Nelson occupied this home located at Florida Street and LaVilla on the corner.  Mrs. Nelson (nee:Brown) is the granddaughter of W. M. Whitten.  Mr. Nelson is the son of Mr and Mrs. John Henry Nelson.

311 West Retta Esplanade

It was deemed significant for reflecting Queen Anne style architecture, asserted to be rare in South Florida, The land was purchased by Freeman in 1903 from Albert Gilchrist, who later became Governor of the state.  A.C. Freeman built this house in 1903 after migrating to Punta Gorda in 1889.  Freeman owned a hardware store and a citrus grove, among other ventures. He served in various city government positions from 1896 to 1904, including tax collector, councilman and treasurer as well as mayor during the later four or five years. He was the first elected mayor in 1900 and served as the sheriff of DeSoto County (from which Charlotte County was derived) for eight years.  During the 1902 mayoral campaign he was described as "'Industrious, frugal and obliging... well-to-do, but probably not a millionaire'".  

The house is currently owed by the City. In 1985 it was slated for demolition.  A major community effort coordinated by the Medical Center Foundation relocated the house from its original East Marion address, where Kays Ponger Funeral home is today, to 639 Hargreaves Street.  The City assumed ownership of the building after Hurricane Charley struck in August 13, 2004.  It was then moved to its present location.  

25325 Marion Avenue

Part time resident George A. Barnhart, a master plumber from Baltimore, MD owned this house.  He had it built in 1926.  The original part of the house was the kitchen.  It consists of two bedrooms on the first floor and one large room on the second floor.  Also, the living room, dining room, bathroom sun parlor were on the east side, and the kitchen.  Around 1954 it was left to one of his daughters, Lillian Mae Barnhart Ehrman Carter.  She then passed it to her son, Raymond M. Ehrman in 1986 around her death in 1986.  The house was then sold in 1997 to Lori Irons and her husband.  (Information supplied by Joan Ehrman, wife of Raymond M.)