Charlotte County Historical Center

Historical Marker Program

Approved Historical Markers | Application Form

CRITERIA

The Charlotte County Historical Marker Program recognizes historic resources, persons and events that are significant in the areas of architecture, archaeology, Charlotte County history and traditional culture by promoting the placing of historical markers and plaques at sites of historic and visual interest to visitors. The purpose of the program is to increase public awareness of the rich cultural heritage of the county, to encourage historic preservation and to enhance the enjoyment of local historic sites by its citizens and tourists.

HERITAGE LANDMARK

To be recognized as a Charlotte County Heritage Landmark, a resource must meet the following criteria:

building, structure or site
at least 50 years old
significance in the areas of architecture, archaeology, local history or traditional culture OR associated with a significant event that took place at least 50 years ago
be associated with a significant person may qualify 50 years after their death OR 50 years after the event with which they are associated
visibly retain physical characteristics present during the period for which it or the associated person or event is significant
A moved building or structure may qualify if the move was 50+ years ago OR it was moved to preserve it from demolition and reasonable attempts were made to assure the new setting is similar to the setting
In certain cases, resources that are less than 50 years old but historically significant at the statewide or national level may qualify as a Charlotte County Heritage Landmark.

MARKERS

The Historical Markers for the Charlotte County Heritage Landmarks shall be approved by the Historical Advisory Committee, with recommendations from the Historical Markers Subcommittee, for both the Standard Charlotte County Historical Marker and the Interpretive Charlotte County Historical Marker. The designs shall provide consistency in size, shape, material, background colors, lettering colors and the county logo on each of the two types of markers:

Standard Charlotte County Historical Marker

the principal marker to recognize a Charlotte County Heritage Landmark site
design: cast aluminum material with pine green enamel background and raised relief cream-colored enamel letters, with the Charlotte County seal in a top crest, approximately 33” high by 43” wide, set on a 7’ extruded aluminum post
price $2,000

Interpretive Charlotte County Historical Marker

supplemental to the Standard Marker with further information, graphics, photographs
design and price to be determined

GUIDELINES FOR WRITING TEXT

The first sentence of the Marker Text should state what the marker is commemorating.
If a person is mentioned in the text, include the county historical significance of the person and the years of birth and death.
Use full names.
If a war or battle is mentioned in the text, include the dates. For example, Civil War (1861-1865)
Check with the Library of Congress for universal use of terms and subject headings.
Use a small letter c for circa. For example, c.1921
List dates in chronological order.
Check grammar and punctuation.
Keep text at a 5th grade reading level.

MARKER APPROVAL PROCESS

Applications shall be submitted on the adopted form to the Historical Advisory Committee through the Historical Center Division staff, who will review them for completeness. The Historical Markers Subcommittee shall review each complete Application for historical accuracy and merit, in compliance with the adopted Criteria, then make its recommendation for approval or disapproval to the Historical Advisory Committee at a regular meeting. The approval of each complete Application shall be decided by a majority vote of the Historical Advisory Committee members in attendance.

FUNDING

The Historical Advisory Committee may review and vote to adjust the established cost and marker awards from time to time, to reflect the actual market costs of manufacturing and installing the Charlotte County Historical Markers.

Established Cost

The established cost of each Charlotte County Historical Marker shall be paid by the applicant after it is approved and before it is manufactured, unless a Marker Award is approved. The cost of manufacture and installation is established at:

Standard Charlotte County Historical Marker $2000
Interpretive Charlotte County Historical Marker $1500

Marker Awards - PLEASE NOTE: NOT available in the current budget year

Applicants may apply for a Marker Award to defray the established cost (or part of the established cost) of each marker, as funds for this purpose are made available through the Historical Advisory Committee. Each Marker Award application shall be approved or disapproved according to the Marker Approval Process.

PROGRAM INFORMATION

The Charlotte County Historical Center will provide detailed information about eligibility requirements and application and review procedures for the county marker program. Requests for information may be made by writing to the Charlotte County Historical Center, 22959 Bayshore Road, Charlotte Harbor, Florida 33980, by telephone at 941.629.7278, or download an application. Office hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, plus 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Saturday.

The Historical Advisory Committee advises the Charlotte County Board of County Commissioners on historical matters and approves Applications for Charlotte County Historical Markers. Meetings are held monthly on the second Wednesday at 9:00 a.m. at the Charlotte County Historical Center.

Approved Heritage Landmarks for Charlotte County Historical Markers

The following historical resources have been approved for Charlotte County Historical Markers, and so they are now recognized as Charlotte County Heritage Landmarks.

1. Charlotte County Courthouse

Charlotte County was created in 1921, after citizens had pushed for 34 years to divide DeSoto County, and Punta Gorda was the new county seat. After meeting in rented quarters, the Board of County Commissioners voted in 1927 to plan a new building and purchased two downtown lots from George Brown (1868 -1951), an African-American businessman, for $25,000.

The Charlotte County Courthouse, a Neo-Classical structure with Greek and Roman influences, was designed by architects Leitner and Henson of St. Petersburg, Florida. Large pediments and columns create a grandiose façade with a parapet roof . Original plans were changed to provide a second floor jail and living quarters for the jailer and his family. Costs totaled $200,000. The building was dedicated on March 20, 1928.

Expanded in the 1960s and 1980s to accommodate the changing needs of Charlotte County residents, the Courthouse served as the center of civic and community life for 71 years until the Justice Center opened in 1999. The modern additions were removed and later the Courthouse was closed, until the Board of County Commissioners voted in 2005 to revitalize the structure, restore the façade to its 1928 appearance and rehabilitate the interior, preserving this important historical landmark for public use.

2. Placida Bunk House

The Placida Bunk House was built about 1907 by the Charlotte Harbor & Northern Railroad to house their employees. The line was laid to transport phosphate to docks at South Boca Grande on Gasparilla Island. Several families called the building home, as railroad transportation encouraged early settlement of the Placida area. Over the years, it has been the site of a local school, post office, and meeting place for a local church. It is linked with several longtime families who established the community here in the 1900s.

The wood-framed building style is a local example of pre-1920s Florida Frame Vernacular architecture, which is significant to the state’s history and development. Despite severe weather and neglect, the Florida yellow pine frame resisted deterioration over the years.

This landmark was moved to its present location onto county-owned land along the Cape Haze Pioneer Trail, to protect it from demolition during the Coral Creek bridge realignment. It was originally located on the eastern side of the railroad bed in Placida. Charlotte County will maintain this important historical resource as a trailside stop and interpretive center for local history.

Application approved by Historical Advisory Committee on February 8, 2006, then by Charlotte County Board of County Commissioners on April 11, 2006. Dedication ceremony held on August 9, 2007. Paid by Charlotte County Historical Center, a division of the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department in Charlotte County government.

3. Howard Homestead / Solana Plat

Frederick William Howard of Kinderhook, New York, first settled near this site in November 1873. After their marriage, Frederick and his wife Anna established residence here in January 1874, along with their two nephews. Frederick hired men and an ox team from Bartow to help clear the land and build a log cabin with a separate log kitchen. By April 1875, Frederick’s brother Jarvis, wife Brenda, and their sons joined them to homestead contiguous land, remaining here until returning to New York in August 1877.

The Howard brothers, who were veterans of the Union Army, grew oranges and vegetables while homesteading their lands. Jarvis kept a journal during his residence which is a unique historical record of life in the Charlotte Harbor area in the 1870s. He noted the Seminoles passing in their dugouts on the Peace River, lack of medical care, irregular mail service, lack of regular news, changeable weather, fantastic fishing, local politics, millions of mosquitoes, and he described individual people who lived in the area.

After the arrival of the railroad in Punta Gorda, Frederick successfully proved his homestead claim and recorded his land as the Solana Plat on November 22, 1889. Howard then sold lots to individuals, many of whom were wealthy friends and family from New York. Over time the name Solana became “Solona” in the local vernacular.

Application approved by Historical Advisory Committee on March 14, 2007. Dedication ceremony held on October 17, 2007, sponsored by Robert “Bucky” McQueen. Marker paid by Charlotte County Historical Center, a division of the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department in Charlotte County government.

4. Bass Biological Labs/Cookie House

The Bass Biological Laboratory and Zoological Research Supply Facility Company was established on this site c. 1931 by John Foster Bass, Jr. (1897-1939) and his wife Else Bass (1898-1973). As the first full-time marine station on the Florida mainland, the laboratory’s mission was to promote scientific marine exploration in southwest Florida. The lab contributed to science education by providing fellowships to eminent naturalists, biologists and zoologists, who identified at least 470 marine and terrestrial animals. Although the Bass family maintained the property until the mid-1980s, the Bass Lab ceased operations in 1944.

The Bass complex included laboratories, a workshop, a house for internationally distinguished scientists, a water tower, a windmill, a boathouse and a series of log cabins set among saw palmettos and slash pines. The first and smallest cabin, the “Cookie House,” served as the lab and office of John Bass. It utilized a building technique popular in Wisconsin, but extremely rare in Florida, called “stovewood construction.” This style used cross-section cuts of wood that resembled cookies when mounted in mortar. The cabin was moved from this site to the Cedar Point Environmental Park in 2006.

Application approved by Historical Advisory Committee on April 11, 2007. Dedication ceremony held on February 20, 2008. Marker and dedication sponsored by Waterford NPC, LLC.

5. Site of Hotel Punta Gorda

Hotel Punta Gorda, one of the first buildings of any kind constructed in Punta Gorda, opened in January 1888 and served over 3300 guests within its first season. The three story building contained 150 rooms, all with a view of the waters of Charlotte Harbor. The hotel, built in the Queen Anne style, included clapboard siding, multi-paned windows, round conical roofed towers and a hipped roof. Although located in a then remote part of Florida, the hotel had such modern conveniences as gas lighting, electric bells, steam heat and open fireplaces. Roses draped over the railings of the extensive veranda, and the grounds were landscaped with camphor trees and palms. The hotel attracted a clientele of wealthy and notable guests from around the world: Thomas Edison, John Wanamaker, W. K. Vanderbilt, the Samuel Colt family and others. There was a period when the hotel declined, ownership changed and in 1924 was acquired by Barron Collier. He changed the name to the Hotel Charlotte Harbor, remodeled the hotel and expanded the grounds. He stuccoed the exterior, added a fourth floor ballroom and arches to the porch, giving the hotel elements of the Spanish Eclectic style. He added new tennis courts, a boat basin and a 176 by 80 foot swimming pool. The hotel flourished again with many famous guests, but after some hard times it was destroyed by fire in August 1959.

Application approved by Historical Advisory Committee on February 14, 2007. Due to its proposed location within city limits, this historical marker application was reviewed and approved by the City of Punta Gorda on July 25, 2008. Dedication ceremony held on September 9, 2009, at West Marion Avenue. Marker paid jointly by Charlotte County Historical Center, a division of the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department in Charlotte County government and by the City of Punta Gorda.

6. The Punta Gorda Bank

The Punta Gorda Bank was operating by June 1894 as a branch of the State Bank of Fort Meade. It was chartered by the state as a separate bank in July 1899, with a capital of $15,0000 and Perry Wadsworth McAdow as president. McAdow had earned a fortune as the owner of the Spotted Horse gold mines in Fergus County, Montana, and decided to relocate to Punta Gorda after vacationing here with his wife. McAdow constructed a one-story, brick façade commercial building on this location to house the bank. The Punta Gorda Bank occupied the corner storefront, with Earnest Dry Goods, the Punta Gorda Trading Company, Wade’s Drug Store and a community social hall known as McAdow Hall filling the remainder of the building.

By December 1912, the bank’s assets had grown to $147,000, and a competing bank, The Merchant’s Bank of Punta Gorda, opened in April of 1912. The Punta Gorda Bank underwent some years of uncertainty, and on April 23, 1917 it was reorganized as the State Bank of Punta Gorda. The new bank assumed the deposits and liabilities of the old Punta Gorda Bank and was relocated to a new building.

Application approved by Historical Advisory Committee on June 13, 2007. Due to its proposed location within city limits, this historical marker application was reviewed and approved by the City of Punta Gorda on July 25, 2008. Dedication ceremony held on September 9, 2009, at Cross Street. Marker paid jointly by Charlotte County Historical Center, a division of the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department in Charlotte County government and by the City of Punta Gorda.

7. First Punta Gorda Home Site

On June 22, 1876, James A. Lockhart and his wife Josephine chose this location to build their new home, which was described as the lowest location in the area, near the only pine trees on the clearing and adjacent to a shell mound. The couple camped on this site while erecting their home, and Lockhart dug a well, finding excellent water where two previous settlers had found only salt water. On July 28, the schooner Santa Maria arrived with their personal belongings and the Lockharts occupied the structure. They planted a vegetable garden and lemon, lime and orange trees, and also raised pigs, goats and chickens. The October 20th hurricane brought torrential rain and the Lockharts found their home standing in two feet of water. They rode out the storm with three alligator hunters who sought refuge with 13 recent kills. Fish were plentiful, especially mullet and tarpon. Alligators, bears, panthers and deer populated the area. Mail came by schooner from Key West.

Approximately two years later Lockhart sold his claim to James Madison Lanier, a hunter and trapper. The Lanier family lived there until 1883 when 30.8 acres were sold to Isaac Trabue, who bought additional land and platted the Town of Trabue on February 25, 1885. This land was incorporated as the City of Punta Gorda on December 7, 1887.

Application approved by Historical Advisory Committee on June 13, 2007. Due to its proposed location within city limits, this historical marker application was reviewed and approved by the City of Punta Gorda on July 25, 2008. Dedication ceremony held at Gilchrist Park on June 17, 2009. Marker paid jointly by Charlotte County Historical Center, a division of the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department in Charlotte County government and by the City of Punta Gorda.

8. Trinity United Methodist Church

A congregation has met at Trinity United Methodist Church continuously since 1873. The first church organized in today’s Charlotte County, its members have been an integral part of our history. Joel and Jesse Knight, James McKay and Jacob Summerlin built a dock in the 1860s to ship cattle and fish, followed by the Knights’ store and post office, T. S. Morgan’s sugar mill, and Nathan DeCoster’s saw mill. In 1881, about a dozen families, cow hunters and fishermen lived in Charlotte Harbor. Trinity United Methodist Church represented civilization in a frontier wilderness.

The first church building was a box frame with a palmetto thatch roof, built near today’s Melbourne Street . It served as a church and school until the second structure was built here in 1889 on land donated by Mathieu and Mary E. (Knight) Giddens. That wood-framed, shingled-roof structure was dedicated in 1890 and later destroyed by the 1910 hurricane. A third church survived the hurricane of 1926, but swayed during services in 1944. Men, women and children razed it, then constructed the fourth church building over a period of six years.

Dedicated in November, 1950, the current masonry church has beautiful stained glass windows, restored pews from 1890, and a tower with a church bell which rings for services every Sunday.

Application approved by Historical Advisory Committee on July 11, 2007. Dedication ceremony held on January 9, 2008 on Seneca Avenue in Charlotte Harbor. Marker cost paid by Charlotte County Historical Center, a division of the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department in Charlotte County government.

9. Charlotte Harbor Cemetery

Established in 1879, Charlotte Harbor Cemetery is the oldest known cemetery in Charlotte County and the final resting place of many local pioneers who braved a subtropical wilderness and Civil War reconstruction to build a settlement on the Charlotte Harbor waterfront. Everyday families, intrepid individuals and noteworthy leaders are all represented here. Their personal monuments are now weathered tombstones.

When Joel Knight died in 1879, his daughter Mary E. (Knight) Giddens and her husband Mathieu Giddens set aside a corner of their property for a burial place. It became the local cemetery for residents over three decades, until the Charlotte Harbor Cemetery land with boundaries as they exist today was deeded to First Methodist Church of Charlotte Harbor (now Trinity United Methodist Church) on May 1, 1908 for $1.00.

The church buildings and the Charlotte Harbor Cemetery were damaged by several hurricanes over the years, including Hurricane Charley in 2004. Meeting continuously since 1879, the small congregation has repaired and renewed the historic grave markers and the cemetery landscape each time. This perpetual-care cemetery is still active and available as a final resting place today.

Application approved by Historical Advisory Committee on July 11, 2007. Dedication ceremony held on October 22, 2008 on Church Street in Charlotte Harbor. Marker cost paid by Charlotte County Historical Center, a division of the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department in Charlotte County government.

10. Hickory Bluff Pioneers

After the Civil War (1861-1865), soldiers stationed in Florida decided to stay for the warm climate as well as for political and financial gain. Some became early pioneers here in Hickory Bluff, not far from the 1872 Charlotte Harbor post office.

Lt. Nathan H. De Coster and Capt. John F. Bartholf were Union soldiers stationed at Ft. Myers. After marrying Florida women, they homesteaded in this area. John Lomans, an African-American soldier also serving at Ft. Myers, helped De Coster set up the first sawmill south of Tampa. Lomans later served as voter registrar, and De Coster became a county judge, postmaster and customs inspector. Bartholf was superintendent of public instruction when schools were established throughout the Peace River region, including Hickory Bluff in 1873. The first school house was constructed from boards sawn at De Coster’s mill.

Mathieu F. Giddens was a former Confederate soldier who owned a farm on Mill Creek and served as county commissioner. Giddens donated land for the Charlotte Harbor Cemetery after his father-in-law, Joel Knight, died in 1879.

Francis Durrance, Jr., owned a house and cattle in eastern Hickory Bluff. He was customs collector in Punta Gorda and served as the local preacher. Around 1927, his son, Cleveland Pasco Durrance, built a Mediterranean Revival style home (called locally the “Spanish House,” now demolished) near this site. He later moved his family to the house next door and rented the Spanish House to seasonal tourists.

Application approved by Historical Advisory Committee on January 9, 2008. Dedication ceremony held on August 5, 2008 at Chester Roberts Park in Charlotte Harbor. Marker cost paid by Charlotte Harbor Community Redevelopment Area (CRA).

11. Indian Spring Cemetery

Indian Spring Cemetery, also called Indian Springs, was created in 1886 on land donated by James L. Sandlin (1858-1903), who settled on Alligator Creek in 1884. Additions were recorded in 1891, 1951, 1974 and 1975. The name 'Indian Spring' came from a small spring near the creek that was thought to have been used by native tribal dwellers. The 40-acre cemetery is the second known graveyard established in the Charlotte Harbor area and the first publicly-owned burial ground. Owned and maintained by Charlotte County since 1948, it contains over 2,500 verified interments, some unmarked, dating back to 1889.

James Sandlin was a young man who became a leading citizen of the newly-formed City of Punta Gorda. He is one of many Florida pioneers interred at Indian Spring. Albert Waller Gilchrist (1858-1926), the Florida Southern Railway surveyor who platted Indian Spring, went into politics and served as Governor of Florida from 1909 to 1913; Virginia Taylor Trabue (1832-1924), wife of Punta Gorda's founder; Joel Bean (1867-1943), founder of El Jobean, Florida's first circular city; and Sallie Jones (1895-1960), Florida's first female Superintendent of Schools, are also among the notables who rest here.

Application approved by Historical Advisory Committee on December 10, 2009. Dedication ceremony held on October 7, 2009, at Indian Spring Cemetery Road. Marker cost paid by three sponsors: Kenneth R. Barber, Roberson Funeral Home & Crematory, Inc., and Jane Brenner.