CHARLOTTE COUNTY
HISTORIC COURTHOUSE
REOPENING CELEBRATION
FEBRUARY 29, 2008
Charlotte County
Courthouse History
1928 - 2008
This handout is distributed by Charlotte County Government.
Charlotte County Historic
Courthouse Reopening Celebration
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The historic Charlotte County Courthouse in Punta Gorda has been a mainstay for generations
of county residents from all walks of life and an integral part of the County’s history. It was built
with pride and designed with elements borrowed from Roman and Greek architecture to provide
a stately appearance for official business. Many people in the community today still recall the
election results being read out loud from the courthouse steps. The Courthouse is recorded in
the Florida Master Site File #CH00322 and contributes to the downtown Punta Gorda historic
district.
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Charlotte County was established in 1921 and officials occupied rented quarters for several years.
Marian McAdow’s offer to donate her home and garden on the waterfront for a courthouse was
declined in 1927, because the Board of County Commissioners said the people deserved one
built for the purpose. On April 11, 1927, the Board of County Commissioners voted to purchase
two lots on Taylor Street from George Brown, African-American proprietor of the Cleveland
Marine Steam Ways, to build a courthouse. The price was $25,000, and Brown retained the
right to move two houses from the property.
•
Plans had been drawn by architects Leitner & Henson of St. Petersburg several months before
the site was decided upon. The building’s Neo-Classical style is characterized by a combination
of Greek and Roman orders in a symmetrical arrangement. Large pediments and columns create
a grandiose façade and entrance. A straight parapet roof has a characteristic central pediment.
•
According to the original contracts, the cost of constructing the Charlotte County Courthouse
was expected to be $134,000, but with changes and land the actual costs totaled $200,000. Bids
were opened on May 5, and the first contract went to Paul H. Smith of Haines City, who was
low bidder at $106,900. Contracts to local firms included D. J. Hobbs, proprietor of West Coast
Roofing and Plumbing, for plumbing and heating fixtures at $1,495 and A.C. Hurst, proprietor of
Charlotte Electric Co. for electrical work. Furniture was purchased from Office Equipment Co.
and Heywood-Wakefield Co., both Tampa firms, at a cost of $8,717.
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Charlotte County Historic
Courthouse Reopening Celebration
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The architect’s original plans were changed to add a second floor jail, including living quarters
and a kitchen for the jailer and his family. There were twelve barred cells with doors operated
by remote-control levers and a hallway leading from the jail to the courtroom. Prisoners entered
through a steel vault-type door with a tiny window.
•
The new courthouse building was dedicated on Thursday, March 20, 1928, in a ceremony
beginning at 8:00 p.m. The first term of the circuit court in the new building began with Circuit
Judge George W. Whitehurst presiding, State Attorney Guy M. Strayhorn prosecuting and Court
Stenographer Edward Ley recording the proceedings. Countless other judges, attorneys, county
commissioners, sheriffs, tax collectors, clerks, school officials, election officials and other public
servants provided government services from the building for decades to come.
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Racial segregation was a way of life for many years, and business at the Charlotte County
Courthouse was no exception. A balcony in the courtroom accommodated African-American
spectators. Separate rest rooms and drinking fountains were provided for black and white people
until the facilities were desegregated in 1964.
•
Building additions later wrapped around three sides, including the front where the columns and
a non-functioning clock were replaced with modern brick in 1963. A four-story addition was
linked to the back of the original building by ramps and stairs, and a two-story section was built
for the Sheriff’s Office near Taylor Street.
-- Images and information in this booklet were provided by the Charlotte County Historical Center.
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Interior Pictures Before Renovation
Stairway Railing - First Floor
Stairway - First Floor
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Interior Pictures Before Renovation
Interior Courtroom Doors
Courtroom Light Fixture
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Interior Pictures Before Renovation
Globe Light Fixture - First Floor
Wall Tile Detail
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Interior Pictures Before Renovation
Interior Door - Second Floor
Hallway Wall Ties - South End
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Interior Pictures Before Renovation
Interior Stairway
Interior Courtroom - West View
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Interior Pictures Before Renovation
Interior Hall
Interior Hole in Floor
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Interior Pictures After Renovation
Interior Hall
Interior Stairwell
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Interior Pictures After Renovation
Interior Ceiling and Molding
Interior Courtroom Door
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Interior Pictures After Renovation
Interior Courtroom Corn Row & Molding
Interior Courtroom Lighting
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Exterior Pictures After Renovation
Exterior Front of Courthouse
Exterior Herald Court Entry
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Exterior Pictures After Renovation
Exterior Back Entry
Exterior Back Entry Lift
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Exterior Pictures After Renovation
Exterior Olympia Street Entry
Exterior Back Entry Seal
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1920s
Life in Charlotte County
1920s Were “Booming” in Charlotte County
Charlotte County was established in 1921, just in time for Florida’s biggest growth spurt. The
state population rose 50% between 1920–1930. Charlotte County enjoyed its share of growth
with numerous new land developments. Real estate sales exceeded $100,000 per day in 1925.
Florida tourism reached an all-time high, and many of these travelers visited Charlotte County.
Several major road projects were completed in the 1920s, including the first bridge across
Charlotte Harbor (1921). The Tamiami Trail opened in Charlotte County in 1928, bringing new
travelers to the area.
A number of Punta Gorda’s key structures were built in the 1920s and still stand today. These
include Punta Gorda City Hall (1926), Atlantic Coast Line Depot (1928), Smith Arcade (1926),
Punta Gorda Woman’s Club (1927), and Charlotte County Courthouse (1928).
As land sales skyrocketed, property prices became artificially inflated. With lost consumer
confidence and the stock market crash of 1929, the Florida land boom came to an end.
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Bridge Dedication, July 4, 1921
First bridge across the Peace River at Punta Gorda
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1921 - Henry Little’s Trained Crane
During prohibition, Mr. Little’s trained sandhill crane would march down Marion Avenue as a
signal for customers that a fresh shipment of moonshine was ready.
1926 - Panorama of Punta Gorda
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1926 Punta Gorda Panoramas
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1922 - Radio of C. F. Cerny
George Lanier built this early radio from a kit in 1922, then gave it to C. F. Cerny the next
year. Cerny operated it from his 8 x 10 homestead shack in Bermont and believed it to be the
county’s first radio. KDKA from Pittsburg, Pennsylvania came in best.
1914-1927 - Autographic Kodak Jr. Camera
The Tamiami Trail and improved transportation brought many tourists and their cameras to
southwest Florida in the 1900s.
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Turpentine Camps
The distillation of turpentine was once a major industry in Charlotte County. One of the largest operations
was located in the El Jobean pinelands, on the eastern shore of the Myakka River, from the early 1910s
- 1920s.
The hard and dangerous labor was performed primarily by convicts who were “leased” to the turpentine
companies. Eyewitness accounts document the inhumane working conditions and treatment of the
turpentine workers. Leo Wotitzky recalled visiting such a camp located near El Jobean with his father:
It was a horrible place. The camp leased prisoners, all black. They were treated like
slaves. Several were killed by beatings or died in forest fires fed by pine resin dripping
from the trees.... It was uncivilized.
Prisoners who died were often buried, without ceremony or markers, in the camp cemetery or along the
railroad. The Florida Legislature eventually passed a law in 1923, prohibiting the leasing of convicts.
Turpentine Pots
Pine tree sap was collected and distilled to make turpentine.
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Railroad Lantern with Red Globe
Red was generally used to signal stop. Even after flashlights were available, some railroad
workers preferred the old lanterns.
1926 - Transom Window from Smith Arcade
Original to the Florida Land Boom. It was saved during remodeling.
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1926 - Charlotte High School
1926 - Hotel in Charlotte Harbor
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1926 - Punta Gorda City Hall
Shaving Artifacts
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1900s - Wall Telephone
1917 - Teddy Roosevelt visiting Punta Gorda on a Devil Fish Trip
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