Built 1920. As of October, 2025 Historic Preservation Board approved demolition due to hurricane damage.
111 Chasteen Street
Constructed in 1951 as a one-story, Masonry Vernacular, single-family
house, the structure at 111 Chasteen Street is a non-contributing
structure within the Punta Gorda National Register Historic District. A new fence along the back was reconstructed after Hurricane Ian in 2022.
4124 Taylor Road - First Christian Church of Punta Gorda
In January of 1976, Harry Thomas and Virgil Felton presented the messages. An article
appeared in the Herald on March 13, 1976 that read:
“Church Formed. The formal organization of a congregation to be known as The First Christian Church of Punta Gorda will take place during the morning worship services on March 14, 1976 at the Community Building in the Municipal Trailer Park as temporary quarter
Joe Douthett was called to the ministry and preached his first sermon on June 20, 1976.
Church attendance grew over the next few years led by Joe.
A five acre parcel of land on Taylor Road was donated to the Church by Curtis and Thelma
Duncan. The groundbreaking for the new church home was on September 9, 1979. The new
building would consist of a sanctuary with a seating capacity of 280, baptistry, four
classrooms, kitchen, minister’s office, and restrooms. Services were first held in the new
building on September 28, 1980. Church dedication was held Sunday, December 7, 1980.
Church attendance continued to grow and more classrooms were added in 1985.
Under Joe’s leadership, our church moved from meeting in homes of members to a beautifuland inviting building where we could worship and praise God.
Dwight Elam preached his trial sermon on January 16, 2005. The congregation voted and
Dwight answered the call to serve. His first Sunday as our minister was on May 29, 2005.
The church continued to grow and a Fellowship Hall was considered necessary. The
groundbreaking for the second building was on July 21, 2013. The Fellowship Hall has been a
blessing for us providing a meeting place for Bible Study, monthly potluck dinners, social
events, book discussions, and movies.
Dwight and his wife, Becky, served our church for over 18 wonderful years. On December 19,
2023, Dwight unexpectedly passed away after a very brief illness. We not only lost our
minister, but also a beloved friend.
Gary Webster stepped in as our interim minister immediately. He understood that we needed
time to grieve our loss and process the necessary steps forward. The congregation voted for
Gary to be our new minister and he accepted on July 1, 2024. We look forward to Gary’s
leadership for our spiritual growth in the future.
Website: First Christian Church of Punta Gorda, FL.
4005 Palm Drive - Faith Lutheran Church
Faith Lutheran Church, located in Punta Gorda, Florida, was established by missionary Pastor David Lieske on October 1, 1972. On that Sunday, he also baptized his daughter, Elizabeth Michelle. He was later called as the resident senior Pastor. The first services were conducted in the Board Room of the Port Charlotte County Board of Education on Education Avenue. Later the services were moved into the Punta Gorda Junior High School located at the corner of Palm Drive and Rio Villa. Faith Lutheran Church built its first permanent building and received its charter from Missouri Synod on March 17, 1973.
In May of 1976, Pastor Carl Geist became Pastor of the congregation and under his direction and other church leaders, an addition would be added. The addition was dedicated in 1978 at 4005 Palm Drive. In 1980, the church became self-supporting and burned its mortgage for the 3.3 acres it acquired just a few years prior.
260 East Olympia - Bethel AME Church
Shortly after the first passenger train arrived in Trabue in July of 1886, Dan Smith, a black man, organized the first religious service in the town. He, with the help of other African Americans in the survey crew, including Sam Kenedy, and men named Graham, Fuller and Ransom, hired by Albert W. Gilchrist, then a young engineer, erected a palmetto thatched roof shelter for the service. It was attended by the crew as well as other African Americans and their families already living in Trabue including Isaac Howard, A.G. Reese, S.P. Andrews, Lynn and Rhoda Jackson and Henry Simmons. Several white families also attended said to have included Isaac and Virginia Trabue, Jacob Wotitzky, Ephraim Goldstein, James Sandlin and their wives. This event led to the establishment of the Bethel AME Church.
The African American religious community continued to meet informally under the arbor until Isaac Trabue bequeathed some land for the newly organized African Methodist Episcopal Church in 1888. Witness to the transaction was M.T.B. Thomas, the first pastor; Dan Smith, the trustee for the church; and James Sandlin. Lumber was paid for by Jacob Wotitzky, and Smith and other congregation members built the first sanctuary at Helen Avenue and Milus. Robert Meacham, postmaster in Punta Gorda, who had organized the African Methodist Episcopal Church in the State of Florida, served as Pastor of the Bethel Church from 1890 to 1892.
In 1897, a new church was built at Olympia and Wood Streets, unfortunately, destroyed by Hurricane Donna. A later church structure was severely damaged in Hurricane Charley. Then, in 2006, the current church edifice was dedicated at 260 E. Olympia. The current pastor is Rev. Frankie S. Fayson III.
359 Chasteen Street
Being demolished after Hurricane Milton 2024.
Built in 1951as a two bedroom which has been converted into a one bedroom.
23084 Seneca Avenue - Trinity United Methodist
The first church to form a congregation in the Punta Gorda region was the Trinity United Methodist in Charlotte Harbor. The church, originally located at what was then called Hickory Bluff (thought to have been near current day Melbourne St. ) was chartered in 1873 as a member of the Tampa Methodist Episcopal District. This was years before Isaac Trabue bought the land across the river that would become the town of Punta Gorda in 1887.
The current structure is the fourth church sanctuary. The church moved to its present location at Seneca and Parmely in 1889 on a lot provided by Mathieu and Mary Giddens. A two-room school was also built next to it. This second church building was destroyed by a hurricane in 1910, and a third structure was severely damaged to yet another storm. The 1926 Miami hurricane, which flooded the streets of Punta Gorda, blew the church off its foundation. While it was recovered at that time, in 1944, a strong wind caused the building to badly sway.
So finally a fourth building was erected of masonry construction, third on the current site, and dedicated on Nov. 9, 1950.
(Information from article by Frank Desguin, Charlotte Sun)
25250 Airport Road - First Presbyterian Church
Construction of the first church building began in December of 1900 on Harvey Street across from where the City Hall now stands on land purchased from Isaac Trabue. It was dedicated on April 14, 1901 with Clarence H. Ferran as the first minister.
For sixty years, the old wood-frame church building served the community, surviving at least two major hurricanes in 1921 and 1926, when almost all buildings in Punta Gorda sustained damage. Then on September 10, 1960 Hurricane Donna hurled into the city and ripped the steeple from the church and damaged the building beyond repair. A year later a new modern church was built at the same location on Harvey.
1555 Taylor Road, Seventh Day Adventist
Seventh Day Adventists have a long history in Punta Gorda. They started a school in the early town in 1895. There were 13 students originally in eight grades. Services were also conducted at the school. It was noted in the Florida Times Union of 1900 that the Adventists were one of the congregations building a church here. (We are still researching if, when and where this happened).
The Adventists also had a significant role in rescuing the local hospital in its early years taking over management in 1969. The Seventh Day Adventists adopted the early Medical Center as one of its official projects, the Punta Gorda Herald at the time reported . "It will have the support of the church organization, and its earnings will be used exclusively to expand the hospital and improve its services.” The adventists owned the hospital until 1994 when it was sold to HMA.
The church has been located on Taylor Road since the late 1980s.
(compiled by Theresa Murtha)
Charlotte Harbor Town
First house in Trabue.
The painting of this house now hangs in the home of Terry Runkle. Mrs. McAdow moved from Punta Gorda and gave the painting to her friend Willie A. White, telegrapher. Mrs.White died and her daughter Thelma left it in the house when she sold the estate. A family named Runkle purchased the house and the daughter-in-law, Terry, found it stored in the garage. She restored it.
Marian McAdow painted this picture of the house that was on land that Isaac Trabue bought from Jams M. Lanier to start the town of Trabue. The house is believed to have been built by James Lockhart. James Lockhart was a former soldier from the Civil War and he and his new wife, Josephine, decided in 1876 to move to this section of the bay on the harbor's south side near where the current Punta Gorda Waterfront Hotel and Suites was located until 2024.
The Lockharts then sold to James Lanier in 1879 and moved south to the Ten Thousand Islands. Lanier then sold to Isaac Trabue in 1883 who platted a new town in 1885. The town was incorporated in 1887 as Punta Gorda and this is considered the oldest home in the city.
PER LINDSEY WILLIAMS: The oldest known house in Charlotte Harbor Town was built on Laura Street by prominent cattleman John Hagan. It was owned and beautifully restored by Victor Larrison and suffered only a little roof damage as a result of Hurricane Charley, Aug. 13, 2004.
110 Harvey Street
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.
264 Marion Ave.
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. As a result of Hurricane Milton in October 2024, This building has been determined to be too damaged to reopen.
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 - Cedar Oaks
When Willian M. Whitten came to 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 he called Cedar Oaks at what is now Florida Street and LaVilla Road in the Old Florida style.
Pineapples were a new business in Punta Gorda when Mr. Whitten arrived. 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. A freeze in 1917 dealt the local industry a disastrous blow and rendered the pineapple industry unrecoverable. The Florida Southern Railway built a depot and loading dock there. It has since been demolished.
Mr. and Mrs. Aubrey and Olive Nelson occupied the home located at Florida Street and LaVilla. Mrs. Nelson (nee Brown) is the granddaughter of William M. Whitten. Mr. Nelson is the son of Mr. and Mrs. John Henry Nelson.
William Whitten’s granddaughter resided in the home until recently. It was damaged during Hurricane Ian and is currently being restored.
311 Retta Esplanade - Freeman House
A.C. Freeman built this house in 1903, originally on land he purchased from Albert Gilchrist, 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 owned by the City of Punta Gorda. 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. Ultimately, the house was relocated to its current location on Retta Esplanade and 41 South, serving as a familiar gateway into the city. 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, Maryland, 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.)
311 Taylor Street
While evidence of this structure does not show until about 1926, Charlotte County's General Index to Deeds 1921-1924 show taxes paid on the property by A. B. Tucker and Caroline H. Tucker. The wooden construction, weighted windows and tin roof are typical of early 1920's home building. According to a previous owner, the house was built in 1923 for the daughter of Sidney Parnell, the first sheriff of Charlotte County. The tax roll lists John A. Lindhal and his wife as property owners in 1926. Until 1921 all taxes and deeds were recorded by and in DeSoto County.
Until 1989 the cottage was owned by a member of the Parnell family. From 1999 until 2021, the house was the site of the Red Hat Studio, Punta Gorda's first working artist studio, owned by artist Liz Hutchinson.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
311 Goldstein Street
Built 1920. As of October, 2025 Historic Preservation Board approved demolition due to hurricane damage .
-
Built 1920. As of October, 2025 Historic Preservation Board approved demolition due to hurricane damage . -
Being demolished after Hurricane Milton 2024. Constructed in 1951 as a one-story, Masonry Vernacular, single-family house, the structure a... -
First house in Trabue. The painting of this house now hangs in the home of Terry Runkle. Mrs. McAdow moved from Punta Gorda and gave th...