Charlotte County was officially established in 1921 when DeSoto County was divided, a change residents had been calling for since 1887. The county was named after Charlotte Harbor. Punta Gorda, which means "wide point" in Spanish, was declared the county seat at this time as well. It was given this name for the peninsula where it's located. In 1927, the county bought land for the present courthouse from an African-American businessman named George Brown. Architecture firm Leitner and Henson, which was based in St. Petersburg, Florida, designed the courthouse. Until 1928, the county government met in rented space. The courthouse was expanded in the 1960s and 1980s. County government offices moved to the newly built Justice Center in 1999 and the old courthouse appears to have remained unused until 2008, when it reopened after a few years of restoration. The building is a contributing property with other structures that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Built in 1928, the Old Charlotte County Courthouse is a fine example of Neoclassical architecture. It served as the seat of county government for 71 years.

"Charlotte County Courthouse." The Historical Marker Database. 

More Info

The Old Charlotte County Courthouse was built in 1928 and served as the county's seat of government until 1999. Combining Greek and Roman elements, the building is an excellent example of Neoclassical architecture. The building features a large portico with columns supporting a pediment, pilasters (columns), and decorative brick and stonework. The design reflects the important role the courthouse played in the development of the county in the 20th century. The building now houses offices.

Old Charlotte County Courthouse

Admin

This short walk through Punta Gorda begins at the A. C. Freeman House and continues on to the Punta Gorda Woman's Club which was established in 1925. The tour also includes the county's first bank, the historic courthouse, the former ice plant which enabled the commercial growth of the fishing industry, the Atlantic Coast Line railroad depot, and the Blanchard House Museum. 

Augustus Freeman was an important&nbsp;figure Punta Gorda for many years. He was a successful businessman, owning a hardware store and citrus grove. He also served as a tax collector, councilman, and was elected mayor, county sheriff, and city commissioner. Freeman moved to California in 1913. Several owners lived in the home until it was slated for demolition in the early 1980s. It was saved and moved two blocks away to its current location and underwent an extensive renovation.

The A.C. Freeman House is a historic home in Punta Gorda, Florida. It was built by its namesake, Augustus Freeman in 1903 and designed in the Queen Anne style. It is owned by the city and operated by the Punta Gorda Historical Society. It also is the location for the Charlotte County Chamber of Commerce. The house was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.

A.C. Freeman House

Women's clubs formed around the country in the 1800s to provide a place where women could socialize, participate in intellectual activities, and work to improve their local communities. The first club in Florida was established in 1887 in the town of Green Cove Springs. In the coming years, a number of other clubs formed in the state, which prompted the establishment of the Florida Federation of Women's Clubs in 1895 in Green Cove Springs. Three years later, the Federation became a member of the General Federation of Women's Clubs, which is a national women's organization founded in 1890.As stated above, the Punta Gorda Woman's Club was founded in 1925 by merging three local women's organizations. Judge William Fenmore Cooper, who lived in Illinois but owned property in Punta Gorda, donated land for the club's building. The building features a curved parapet and a triple-arched entrance. Among its many activities over the years, the club collected clothes for residents after a hurricane in 1928, raised funds for a nursery, and provided entertainment for service members during World War II. In the 1930s, members also started to collect books for lending to the public. The size of the collection grew to 5,000 by 1951. A library was built in the late 1950s and the club operated it until it became part of the county's library system.

The Punta Gorda Woman's Club has been an active civic organization since its establishment in 1925 and has its headquarters here in this Mediterranean Revival building which was completed two years later and is currently owned by the Punta Gorda Historical Society. The building is also significant for being the location of the city's first library, which operated at this location for 30 years. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. 

Punta Gorda Woman's Club

The State of Florida chartered First National Bank as Merchants Bank of Punta Gorda. When it opened in 1912, it became the city's second bank; the first was Punta Gorda Bank. It changed its name to First National Bank of Punta Gorda in 1914 when it obtained a federal charter. First National contributed to the city's development, especially in the land boom of the 1920s, by providing financial services and support to the fishing, tourism, and agricultural industries. It appears the bank closed in 1985 when First Florida Bank acquired it. First Florida was later acquired by Bank of America in 1999. The former First National Bank building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.

The former First National Bank is the oldest bank building in Charlotte County still standing. Erected in 1912, it played a key role in the growth of the city in the early 20th century, serving as a leading financial institution for the community. The building is also a striking example of Neoclassical architecture, featuring large columns and decorative brickwork in the shape of a pediment. The building has been home to various businesses in recent years.

First National Bank

The founder of Punta Gorda, Isaac Trabue, built the city's first ice plant in 1891. Named the Ice Factory Company, it was situated between Olympia and Virginia Avenues on Berry Street and next to a railroad line, which is now a public trail. The factory was powered by steam and produced 15 tons of ice each day that could be sent down a chute to boats in the bay or transferred to trains.Trabue's plant was the only ice producer in the city until the Punta Gorda Ice and Power Company was established in 1895 at this location. Organized by a group local businessmen, the plant was also powered by steam and located next to a railroad line. It produced ice year round rather than only during the fishing season, which is when the Ice Factory Company operated. This increased competition and other factors compelled Trabue to close his facility in 1897. By 1902, the Punta Gorda Ice and Power Plant was generating 25 tons of ice per day. At some point in the coming years, the plant switched to using electric motors to operate its equipment, which was much more efficient.The plant was significantly expanded in 1913, which included the construction of the present building, and started to supply electricity to the city. In 1926, the plant was enlarged again after the Florida Power and Light Company acquired it. The company built a new power plant on the property but continued to produce ice in the Punta Gorda Ice Plant. The plant operated until the early 1960s and for a time was the location of Kazwells Furniture Store. In recent years, the former ice plant has been home to the Ice House Pub.

The rise of the fishing industry in southwest Florida in the late 19th and early 20th centuries was dependent upon ice. Given the centrality of this industry to the economic growth of the region, the Punta Gorda Ice Plant building is one of the most important historic landmarks in the city. Constructed in 1913, this plant produced several tons of ice per day which allowed fishing companies to keep their product fresh for shipment on railroads to northern markets. In this way, the plant also contributed to the success of the railroad industry. Once part of a larger complex that also generated electricity for Punta Gorda, the building is the only structure associated with the fishing industry still standing in the city. The structure was badly damaged by Hurricane Charley, but the building owners decided to restore the historic building which is now home to the Ice House Pub. 

Punta Gorda Ice Plant (Ice House Pub)

Blanchard HouseThe Blanchard House is a type of home called a bungalow, and was designed to reflect local traditions dating between 1905 and the early 1920s in Florida. The house was originally built with four rooms and a front porch. Back then, bungalows were the main style of smaller houses throughout the country. Blanchard House is now one of a few remaining examples of this type of residential architecture left in Charlotte County from the 1920’s. The house was moved in 2002 but it was originally located three blocks from its new present location on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. It reflects the early period of Punta Gorda when African American pioneers built a community that enabled them to overcome segregation and prejudice. Joseph Blanchard was born in St. Augustine and was a fisherman and steam boat pilot; Minnie was a mail order bride from Louisiana. Bernice RussellBernice Russell was born in Marianna, Florida but grew up in Punta Gorda. She was a descendant of one of the first African American pioneer families to settle in the city. Russell began her journey towards establishing the museum in the 1980s when she began documenting the history and culture of the local African-American community. The Blanchard House began to emerge as a historical center when Russell bought it after Minnie Blanchard passed away 1997. Unfortunately, as noted above, Russell died in 1999 and did not witness the opening of the museum in 2004. Blanchard House MuseumCarefully preserved artifacts and candid photographs interspersed with copies of news clips help illustrate everyday life for residents predominantly in the 1800s and early 1900s. Blanchard House Museum is also yet another addition to this rich past of Punta Gorda. A large part that you get to witness in the museum is the struggle for freedom from slavery, Jim Crow Laws, and cultural perceptions through the eyes of famous African American men and women.

The Blanchard House Museum explores the history, culture, and contributions of African Americans in Charlotte County. Founded in 2004, it is named after the house's builder and first owner, Joseph Blanchard, who lived here with his wife, Minnie; both were African American. The museum was the dream local African American historian and social activist Bernice Andrews Russell, who passed away before it opened. The museum features permanent and seasonal exhibits that highlight the African American experience in the county. It also offers a variety of educational and outreach programs. Blanchard built the house in 1925.

Blanchard House Museum 

Punta Gorda Depot was the third train station built in the city; the first was erected in 1886 and the second in 1897. It features a curved parapet and arches on the northern end, a two-story tower, and a clay barrel tile roof. In addition to its separate "white" and "colored" entrances, the depot also had segregated waiting rooms, bathrooms, and ticket windows. Its economic impact on the community was significant as it not only facilitated freight transportation but also enabled fishermen to ship their catches to northern markets. Other goods shipped from the depot included pineapples, propane, turpentine, and even ice from the local icehouse. The depot was built towards the end of the Florida land boom of the 1920s. Its use started to decline as the Great Depression took its toll on the community and the population decreased by a thousand people in the 1930s. Nevertheless, passenger service continued until 1971 and freight service ended some time later. A philanthropist by the name of Fred Babcock bought the depot with the intention of converting it into a restaurant. This plan fell through and he donated it to the Punta Gorda Historical Society. The depot was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.

The Punta Gorda Atlantic Coast Line Depot is a historic train station built in 1928 by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (ACL). It is a fine example of Mediterranean Revival architecture and is, in fact, the only one of six depots built by the ACL in this style still standing. The depot was primarily used for freight shipping but passengers used it as well. It is also important in the city's racial history as it still has "white" and "colored" signs above two doors that were used during segregation. Today, the depot houses an antique mall and a museum. It is one of several buildings operated by the Punta Gorda Historical Society.

Punta Gorda Florida Walking Tour

Old Charlotte County Courthouse

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information