413 Retta Esplanade

In 1909, after the death of her husband, Sadie Farrington and her son, Henry,  moved from their large home on 109 Gill St. to this home on the corner of Durrance St. and W. Retta Esplanade. This move allowed Sadie to be closer to her best friend, Marian McAdow.  Perry McAdow was a wealthy goldminer and wheelchair confined.  Henry Farrington was McAdow's business manager and assistant in most of his businesses. 

Sadie was only 35 and had three children to support.  Henry left assets consisting only of their home, the four logs and 50 shares of DeSoto Manufacturing Co. stock.  Perry McAdow told her not to worry about the mortgage and she had a small quarterly income from the stock but not enough to live on.  She worked at the New Southland Hotel as manager.  She managed her personal affairs well and put Helen and Henrietta through Florida State University and saw them both well married.  In 1925 Sadie sold her home to George E. Truett for $12,500.  In turn he sold it to Rev. S. F. Stephens and he to the Maxwells.  Upon Sadie's death she was cremated and buried alongside her husband in Georgia.  As of 2006 the home is owned by Mr. and Mrs. Jeff and Janeen Wiler and they have restored it and enjoy the same views Sadie enjoyed.

401 Retta Esplanade

The original owners were James L. and Mary Lula Seward Sandlin.  James was a member of the first City Council and also mayor of the new city.  Of their six children born in the new city a baby boy lived only 3 days and their second child, Felix, died at 12 years old in 1902.  James Sandlin was an orphan who came to the area with the Morgan family prior to the town of Trabue platting and first settled on Alligator Creek.  He was here to see the first train arrive and soon was engaged in real estate, mercantile, citrus and coastal shipping businesses.  The "widow's walk" on the home enabled Sandlin to check ships at the nearby dock.  He died in 1903.  The house was purchased by Daniel Frank Smoak and also a mayor of Punta Gorda.  Judee Vee Smoak Moore is his daughter and her son Ricky Moore has contributed to this information.

321 Retta Esplanade

 

Built in 1932 by the Greenwald family from Black Rock, NC as a winter fishing retreat known as Horn House  Lena Greenwald, daughter of the original owner, married a local horticulturist/nursey man named Ed J. McCann.  McCann owned a nursery and hybridized amaryllis lilies.  He also served as mayor of Punta Gorda. 

520 East Olympia

Capt. W. H. Johnson had this house built in 1924 for his wife, Bertha.  She disliked their current two-story house on W. Goldstsein and Marion Ave.  Bertha was the daughter of Charles Guy Davis.  A craftsman-style house that received much publicity in popular magazines such as House Beautiful, Country Life and Ladies Home Journal.  Craftsman houses were inspired primarily by the work of two CA brothers Charles and Henry Greene.  They practiced in Pasadena from 1893-1914. The high-style bungalow is characterized by a low-pitched gabled roof with wide, unenclosed eave overhangs.  Roof rafters are usually exposed and decorative false beams or braces are commonly added under the gables.  Porches are either full or partial width and the roof is supported by tapered square columns or pedestals that frequently extend to ground level as do the ones here.  The original windows, doors, woodwork and floors remain in this house.

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.