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

 

The First Presbyterian Church of Punta Gorda now sits on Airport Road across from the current location of the Masonic Lodge of Punta Gorda.  Ironically, it was in the original masonic hall in downtown Punta Gorda that the church was organized on October 13, 1895.  This year the congregation will celebrate its 125th anniversary.  

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

This lovely historic home was built in 1924 as a manse for the vicar of the First Presbyterian Church, which was originally across the street. The structure has Georgian hard pine flooring preserved in the craftsman style.  Current owners are Mr. and Mrs. Sean Howard.