In my Florida travels I meet fantastic people who are travel writers, residents, newcomers, guides and entrepreneurs, all are digging into the Florida places they love and finding treasures worth keeping. Here is Ron Norsell, president of the Punta Gorda Historic Mural Society in his own words:
As you end your travels down US 17 in Punta Gorda you may notice some of the 24 beautiful murals scattered throughout the city. Behind each mural is a tale of a person or event that helped shaped the City.
Punta Gorda historic murals tell the city’s history
For example, when the Florida Southern Railway was deciding where to end the western rail line, Punta Gorda’s Founder, Isaac Trabue persuaded the Directors to build their southern most terminal in his largely uninhabited town, of Trabue. As an inducement he gave Florida Southern half of his land for construction of a waterfront hotel.
Construction of the Punta Gorda Hotel (Mural 23) began in 1886. It opened in January 1888.
The regal hotel brought with it business and prosperity, although it was only open during the winter.
When tough financial time struck the nation in 1896, the hotel closed, reopening in 1902. The hotel closed for good in 1914 and was sold in 1924 to Barron Collier and Cornelius Vanderbilt. They renamed it the Hotel Charlotte Harbor (Mural 24) and over the next three years invested in a magnificent renovation. A floor was added as Collier’s private apartment along with A glassed-in ballroom. The hallways were narrowed to make space for private baths for each room and a sprinkler system installed. Originally, the hotel sported just 4 baths per floor. The wood structure’s exterior was stuccoed and amenities including a gigantic swimming pool and pavilion were added.
The grand re-opening was celebrated in January 1927. Collier promoted his new enterprise by giving cost-free vacations to sport celebrities and recruited both local and established golfers to foster competitions at the hotel’s 18-hole golf course east of town. In 1930, specially-constructed tennis court was added for tennis phoneme “Big Bill Tilden” and his rivals.
The Great Depression cut short the hotels success.
The Collier heirs sold the hotel to G. Floyd Alford in 1944. Subsequently, Martin Flieschman took over in 1956 and spent a great deal converting it into a health retreat. A “mineral bath” wing and shore side “cabana club” were added. He renamed it Charlotte Harbor Spa.
The hotel met a fiery end on August 14, 1959. The fire was so spectacular that it was visible from more than 25 miles.
The Punta Gorda Historic Mural Society is a 501c (3) non-profit organization. The Society depends upon the generosity of the public for funding of projects and encourage you to become a Friend of the PGHMS by visiting us @ http://puntagordamurals.com. Learn more about the murals, the mural process, and much more including an interactive “Walking/ Bicycle Guide.”
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