554 West Marion Avenue/501 Shreve Street, History Park

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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).

123 Gill Street

This house was built for the Wotitzky family in 1890.  From Austria and Czechoslovakia, Jacob Wotitzky came to open a dry goods store, the Wotitzky General Merchandise Store, in 1886.  His wife Rosa and two children joined him from New York where they had been staying with relatives. some 2 years later.  He extended his trade by peddling wares from the schooner "Mollie O" among coastal customers throughout Charlotte Harbor and Southwest Florida.