311 Taylor Street

While evidence of this structure does not show until about 1926, Charlotte County's General Index to Deeds 1921-1924 show taxes paid on the property by A. B. Tucker and Caroline H. Tucker.  The wooden construction, weighted windows and tin roof are typical of early 1920's home building.  According to a previous owner, the house was built in 1923 for the daughter of Sidney Parnell, the first sheriff of Charlotte County.  The tax roll lists John A. Lindhal and his wife as property owners in 1926.  Until 1921 all taxes and deeds were recorded by and in DeSoto County.

Until 1989 the cottage was owned by a member of the Parnell family. From 1999 until 2021, the house was the site of the Red Hat Studio, Punta Gorda's first working artist studio, owned by artist Liz Hutchinson.  

219 Sullivan Street

 

Circuit-riding Reverend George Gatewood bought this home in 1915.  He was a minister licensed by the Methodist General conference in 1899.  He preached to frontier churches that were beyond the reach of regular clerics with the help of occasional visiting ministers.  He attended the spiritual needs of 200 homesteaders in "Union Services" which were held in schoolhouses throughout the area.  He and his wife supported themselves by operating "General" stores here in town.  He also worked as postmaster, real estate salesman, fisherman and newspaper reporter.  He wrote two books of historical significance:  Ox Cart Days to Airplane Era in Southwest Florida" and "On Florida's Coconut Coast" both of which have been republished by the Punta Gorda Historical Society.  

Retta Esplanade Park

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Bayshore Lodge

The Bayshore Lodge is captured in this mural at 1900 N. Tamiami Trail Office Building.   It once stood on the harbor of Punta Gorda near where the PG Waterfront Hotel & Suites is today.  The house was built in 1897 and was the largest and finest home in town and occupied what was known as the most beautiful location in all of Punta Gorda.  When staying at the Hotel Punta Gorda, he decided to make this his new home and worked out a deal with the City Council to build a home in Harvey Park (Harvey & Cross Streets) with the agreement that it would revert back to the city upon his death.  The house was completed in 1897, was two stories with large verandas and was said to have cost 

$10,000.  He brought his wife, Marion, to live there in the winter of 1897.

Perry W. and Marion McAdow lived in a large home in Retta Esplanade.  Perry was a very wealthy gold miner who was confined to a wheelchair and he and his wife, Marian, retired to Punta Gorda.  Perry McAdow's business manager in most of his Florida businesses was Mr. Farrington.  His wife, Sadie Farrington, was best friend to Marion McAdow and after her husband died, she moved to a home closer to the McAdows to be closer to her friend.  The McAdow house is no longer standing.

Marion Avenue and Taylor - Punta Gorda Herald

 .  The first issue of the Punta Gorda Herald was published February 17, 1893.  Its original building was at Cross Street and Retta Esplanade located on the lower floor of a cigar factory, burned to the ground in 1895. The offices then moved to the location pictured at Marion Avenue and Taylor Street.   In September,  1901 the Punta Gorda Herald was purchased by Adrian P. Jordan. In 1913, Jordan built a new building on the corner of Taylor and Herald Court.   The building was used until it was damaged by Hurricane Charley in 2004.  The Herald SUN is currently located on Harborview Road in Port Charlotte.

Olympia & Cross Streets - First Baptist Church

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This First Baptist Church structure is no longer standing.   Punta Gorda City Master file of demolished buildings shows it was constructed in 1909. It is an historical loss as it affected the early growth of the entire town.  It is currently an empty lot.  (2022)

The original congregation consisted of nine members. Among them were James L. and Mary Sandlin, James M. and Martha Sandlin Morgan, and Mrs. Nancy Linquish. Sandlin and Morgan donated to the Baptist congregation, two lots for a church to be built on the northwest corner of Cross and Olympia streets. The lumber for the new church was supplied by Morgan who operated a sawmill on Taylor Road near Alligator Creek. By 1893 the first issue of The Punta Gorda Herald noted that there was a Baptist Church Building.  It was also noted in the Herald of that year that Rev. T. J. Sparkman, pastor, conducted services every first and third Sundays.  

Over the years the Baptists added Sunday School rooms, a kitchen and dining room.  Still the original church building proved too small for the growing congregation.  In 1962, a larger sanctuary and attendant facilities were built at its present site on Gill St. The Crosland Chapel and Sunday school were dedicated January 28, 1962. The old pastorium was moved to the present site, but later torn down. With completion of the Crosland Chapel, the Cross Street and Retta Esplanade properties were sold to the Golden Rule Rebekah Lodge.

The building for a time served as a bridal store. It was badly damaged in Hurricane Charley and remains were demolished.

501 Shreve Street - the Calaboose

` Calaboose comes from the Spanish term calaboozo for jail or cell.  It was a common name for small holding cells found in many pioneer towns.  This 10 x 16 foot cage is made from riveted iron bands.  It served as the city jail from 1889-1928 when it was replaced by the county's first jail in the Charlotte County Courthouse on Taylor Street.  The iron bands of the calaboose were once covered by an iron roof.  The cage apparently had two swing-down bunks on either end.  The swinging front doors were locked by a padlock.  The apparatus was installed on Herald Court in downtown Punta Gorda.  The Calaboose ended its days on Jim and Patsy Parker's Washington Loop Ranch before being given to the Historical Society.  The Parkers gave the Calaboose to the Punta Gorda Historical Society in honor of his father, Edwin M. Parker, who was Mayor of Punta Gorda in 1941.  D&M Construction moved the Calaboose from the Ranch to town.

501 Shreve Street - Isaac Trabue

This cottage* was the law and land sales office of Col. Isaac Trabue, the founder of Punta Gorda.  It was built in 1886 in preparation of the Florida Southern Railway's extension of service to the new town of Trabue.  Col. Trabue gave Henry B. Plant, owner of the Southern Railway, 15 acres of his holdings in Trabue to entice him to extend his railroad line here.  The little structure served as a Post Office for half a dozen hopeful residents and 200 construction workers from July 1 to August 12, 1886. Nanny Scott of Cleveland, Florida was appointed postmistress in August of 1886 and the Post Office was moved to another location.  This building was originally located on a site to the rear of where the Freeman House is now located (311 W. Retta Esplanade).  It was moved and restored to a location on the corner of Marion and (125) Nesbit, near the Post Office in 1991.  *In November 2000, it was moved to the History Park. (501 Shreve Street, Punta Gorda, FL.) where it sits today.