220 Goldstein Street/501 Shreve Street

This home has significant historical value because of the family whose lives are connected to the building.  Fritz Quednau and his wife, Belle, came to Punta Gorda in 1888 to establish a cigar-making business.  Established in 1892 and located at 220 Goldstein between Berry and Shreve St.  When Fritz died in 1896, his wife converted the cigar factory into a boarding house.  Fritz' son, Fred, was an early Punta Gorda fishing boat captain, a Punta Gorda cafe owner, mayor and sheriff.  Fred married Belle McBean and their daughter, Tosie Hindman, who reigned as supervisor of elections, lived in the house until her death. This house is currently located in the Punta Gorda History Park at 501 Shreve St., Punta Gorda, FL.

328 Goldstein Street

 Charles Dampier Willis and wife, Elizabeth built this home in 1956. He worked for Florida Power and Light and built this house as a retirement home.  He sold the house to his son, Jack.  The TV program, Route 66 filmed a segment in Punta Gorda in 1963 and this was one of the houses featured.  The episode featured two little girls playing jacks on the sidewalk in front of the house.  Episodes of this program were also filmed at the Will Quidau house on Harvey St.

231 Goldstein Street

 

Named after early settlers, Mr. and Mrs. Ephraim Goldstein.  This street houses the wood-frame home representing the Frame-Vernacular style.  This is square and one floor and more than one-room deep.  A porch has been added to the front and it is built on concrete piers as common during this era of 19th century Punta Gorda.  The chimney was on an outside wall and the fireplace is centrally located.  This was originally a residence.

Charlotte Harbor Area Historical Society News-Press, 12/3/1986 shows a photo of the house which has two stories.  The blurb says the home was dismantled in 1968 and built in 1886. 

215 Goldstein Street

The first dedicated all grades school in Punta Gorda was built on this site in 1896.  Originally a one-story structure, a second story was added in 1902. The first year of high school was in 1903, the first graduating class was 1905.  It served as both an elementary and high school until 1911 when a new school was built on Taylor as the high school-age population grew.  In 1927 it became the town’s s first hospital. During the 1920s, the Chadwick brothers remodeled it for an inn, “The Chadwick Inn.” Later in the 1930s it became an apartment house.

Added Information provided by Lynn Harrell:

The assistant principal at the Goldstein Street School was Prof. Ulysses S. Whiteaker; he designed the larger brick school on Taylor Street when the student population outgrew this one. U.S. and Nora Whiteaker's daughter, Jean Pauline, was also a teacher. She taught at the one-room Harbor View school across the bay. In 1914, Jean Whiteaker married Cleve Henry Cleveland. They lived in Boca Grande until 1921, when their oldest son, Gerald, reached school age and the Cleveland family moved to Punta Gorda. Jean then taught at the Taylor Street school, and Cleve went to work for the City as the manager of the City-owned electric power plant. In 1922, The City acquired its first fire truck and appointed Cleve as the first City Fire Chief. He was the first fire chief to be put on the City payroll; earlier firemen were volunteers. He was paid $25 a month and kept the position until 1931. During his tenure, Chief Cleveland and his crew were lauded for saving the "Chadwick Inn" - the former Goldstein Street School - and the surrounding buildings! They were able to restrict the fire to the upper floor of the Inn, which was later rebuilt. And btw, Jean Whiteaker Cleveland also went to work for the City. When the youngest Cleveland son, Max, was a toddler, Jean took a job as Deputy City Clerk. She would later become the first female City Clerk in Punta Gorda's history, a post she held for 8 years, before retiring in 1956 after 31 years of service at City Hall!