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.  

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.)

252 Marion Avenue - the Johnson Building

A large concrete building on the corner of Sullivan  and W. Marion housed many stores over the years.  Built by Jesse Sandlin and Dr. Newman.  Dr. Newman's dentist's office was there and Josh Mizell had a real estate office with Sandlin.  W.H. Johnson later owned it and had his real estate office there, hence  the name The Johnson Building.  J.T. Griggs had a grocery store on the west side of the building and on the corner was Jones Brothers Meat Market.  J.K. McClelland had his Sundry Store and Ice Cream Parlor there for a time.  Charlotte County housed its offices from 1921 until the Court House was built.  After Jones Brothers and the county offices moved out, Elmer Oswald had a men's store there for years.  

756 Marion Avenue

The Florida Land and Improvement Corporation was formed in 1881 and registered in Jacksonville, Florida.  In 1883 the Consolidated Ice, Refrigerating and Fish Co. purchased the land and built this "Dusk to Dawn" one room house.  Workmen came in at dusk and went back to work at dawn.  The one room had a fireplace to rest for the night.  The fireplace is still intact.  By 1924 a second story and more rooms on the ground floor had been added. The house was partially restored in 2000 and was flooded in 2001.  

507 West Marion Avenue - First United Methodist Church - Site of Trabue Community Hall

The Methodists were the first to organize a congregation in Punta Gorda on July 3, 1887.  Early services were held in the Community Hall* at this site on Marion built by Colonel Isaac Trabue early in 1887. The original Hall served as a church for multiple denominations. The Methodist congregation purchased the property for a sanctuary in 1889 for $250. In 1910 a hurricane badly damaged the Community Hall building and forced the congregation to plan for a new structure.

In February 1913, J. Heid and Major Wells donated 40,000 bricks from the old power house, an abandoned ice factory on Berry Street.  The church shell was finished on June 1, 1915.  Despite the lack of windows and interior fixtures, the building was used immediately by the congregation. Later that year stained glass windows were installed and the interior was finished as funds became available.  It is estimated that the church cost approximately $10,000 to build.   

*Lindsey Williams' in a 1993 newspaper article, indicated that the original Community Hall structure was the second  building to be constructed in Trabue, Punta Gorda.  Part of the building that was the original sanctuary was discovered to have been moved in 1914 and incorporated into a large  home being renovated at 233 Harvey St.  The remnant of the old bell tower, choir loft and sanctuary were identified after a storm when the interior walls were stripped.  

326 Marion Avenue

or 

Punta Gorda's first city hall was a one-story concrete block building erected on this site on land deeded by Virginia Trabue, aged widow of the town's founder, IsaacTrabue, in return for abatement of taxes and life tenure of her nearby home.

The neoclassic design is dominated by a full height porch with a roof supported by classic columns.  The building was extensively damaged during Hurricane Ian and is still undergoing repairs a full year after.

130 Marion Avenue

This replica of a turn of the century street clock replaces the public clock that was originally over the First National Bank entrance.  When the First National Bank failed, the clock was moved to the Punta Gorda State Bank at the southwest corner of King Street and Marion Avenue.  That bank became First Florida which moved to a new building.  The clock was then sold to a bank in Wauchula, FL.  Funds for the present street clock were raised by concerned citizens in 1990 when negotiations to buy the original clock back proved fruitless.  Chimes ring on the half hour and hour.  *See National Bank Building.

121 East Marion Avenue - Smith Arcade

Built by Henry W. "Baker" Smith this unique structure is a forerunner of the enclosed mall shopping center.  The Arcade Building was the center of activity in Punta Gorda from 1926 to 1958.  During this period the U.S. Post Office was located in the building.  Residents made daily trips to the post office to receive their mail since the area did not have home delivery.  Also the Maxwell drug store, a small grocery store, a dentist's office, a radio repair business, a beauty parlor and a real estate office were located in the building.  It was a favorite activity to stop for ice cream while waiting for mail, probably in the drug store which had a soda fountain.  Today the Arcade is closed and the building houses the Perfect Caper Restaurant and a Florida Dept. of Correction state probation office.  

604 West Marion Avenue

 

Built by real estate agent William H. Johnson, the house is a classic Craftsman style bungalow of one and a half stories with massive tapering piers supporting the porch.  It is built of heart pine and bald cypress, locally cut and it retains it's original flooring and woodwork. Uneven floors and doors add to the charm.  Wallace Mobley owned and operated the Seminole pharmacy with his pharmacist brothers, Hugh, and Lester.  The three brothers purchased the Seminold Pharmacy from Dr. David N. McQueen Punta Gorda's first druggist.

554 West Marion Avenue/501 Shreve Street, History Park

Currently in 

Punta Gorda History Park

554 West Marion Avenue

*In 1915 Philadelphia architect Benjamin D. Price and his wife, Mary, bridged two side by side cottages into one home.  B.D. Price was a noted church designer, the United Methodist Church on W. Marion Ave. is based on one of his plans.  Their son, Max Charles Price, also an architect joined them in 1914/18.  He designed several buildings in the area including the Grunwell House (Villa Bianca*) in Solana and the county Stockade on Florida St.  Max Price was the first city manager and later served as mayor.  The Price House was originally sited at 115 Gilchrist St.  It was used as a bed and breakfast inn when it was sold to an investor who planned to demolish it.  The home was restored in the late 1990s by Hal Wotitzky, the great grandson of Jacob Wotitzky, one of Punta Gorda's first settlers. He was persuaded to donate it to the Historical Society instead of demolishing it. It was moved to History Park in February 2005.  

Jacob Wotitzky's first home in Punta Gorda c1890 was at 123 Gill Street (also listed in this blog).

412 West Marion Avenue

 

This was the long-time home of attorney John H. Hancock and his wife, Emma.  Since 1968 this home has been cared for by the Vuic family.  It is a rambling 23 room frame house and has a full front porch supported by columns on cement piers, bay windows and a front gable.  There are fireplaces in the living room and second floor master bedroom.  Heart pine floors and French doors accent the house.  Currently a large hedge surrounds the property.  It is across the street from the City Hall annex.  It was featured in the TV series Route 66 when an episode was filmed in Punta Gorda.   

415 West Marion Avenue

This prairie style home which originally had open porches was built for Edward and Nora Yeager in 1920. Their son E. Burnett Yeager was Charlotte County’s Tax For 30 years. After his death, he was succeeded by his wife Areta. The house was later occupied by Judge W.R. Roberts, and later by Dr. Morris Alexander, who closed in the porches to create his office. The house has had several owners since then.