HISTORIC BOCA GRANDE
(Lee County)

FISHING VILLAGE TURNED UPSCALE RESORT


BOCA GRANDE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

BOCA GRANDE HISTORICAL SOCIETY


BOCA GRANDE, on the dual county island at the mouth of Charlotte Harbor, is best known as America's tarpon fishing center. Fishing has always been part of the story of this island way back to 1831 when Cuban fishermen set up racnco camps. Other than a small phosphate export port, Gasparilla Island was famous for its fishing plutocrats until the construction of a private toll bridge by Robert Baynard in 1955 and the discovery of the isolated island's charms by successful Tampa Bay area professionals who could build expensive beach villas a few hours from metropolis.

 

 

WHERE TO START: Start in front of the island's pride, at the corner of Fifth Street and Palm Avenue, the: (1) GASPARILLA INN (1912), a large pale yellow frame Victorian hotel with a Classical portico and a colony of cottages and rooms built around the golf course. You should stop just to enter the Main Inn where the nation's elite used to winter.

An Arcadia phosphate executive Peter Bradley allied with James F. Gifford, President of the Charlotte Harbor and Northern Railroad, to build the luxury winter resort. It's hotel registrar may read like a "Who's Who", but you won't get to read it for low key privacy is the rule here.

To see the inland waterfront drive east of Fifth Street AVENUE along the golf course toward Boca Grande Bayou.

Turn RIGHT (south) ON BAYOU AVENUE toward HARBOR DRIVE and the yacht basins. There's charter boat centers and places to stop for lunch. In tarpon season there will be fishermen from around the world. In the peak of the winter celebrities could be eating with some retired school teachers. WHIDDEN RESTAURANT and MARINA(1926) at 190 lst Street East is a historic structure.

Drive west on First Street past the  (3) COMMUNITY HOUSE (1925) and the (4) COMMUNITY CENTER, a complex which has the Boca Grande School. PASS PARK AVENUE for the time being and TURN RIGHT ON GILCHRIST. THEN, if your car fits, TURN RIGHT ONTO (5) BANYAN STREET, an amazing gnarl of shady banyan trees planted on both sides built by Peter Bradley.

TURN Going left on PARK AVENUE, the main business drag.. At 240 Banyan Street is the 1936 LOUISE du PONT CROWNINSHIELD COMMUNITY HOUSE. a popular wedding spot. On your right is the interesting: (6) OUR LADY OF MERCY MISSION CHAPEL, a replica of a Spanish style mission with brick floors, but featuring a circular entrance way. You should stop to go inside to admire the fine woodsmanship and the real Madonna Icon of Russian design.

    COMMUNITY CHURCH, BANYAN STREET

 

Go down Park  Avenue.. One interesting commercial building is the(7) BOCA GRANDE THEATER (1924), now used as a restaurant and shops. The island has the Royal Palm Players. .

At 471 Park Avenue is the (8) CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. At the end of the block on your right is the POST OFFICE (1912), once the B. C. Mercantile Building. At 428 4th and Park is (9) FUGUTES (1916), the town's mini-everything store founded by Jerome Fugate Sr., and visited by everyone sooner or later.

Across Fourth on the right is the landmark(10) BOCA GRANDE RAILROAD DEPOT (1910), an impressive two story structure which now houses antique and gift stores and an ice cream parlor/restaurant. The brick structure with the arcaded loggia was the last depot for the Charlotte Harbor & Northern Railway. I once saw Barbara Bush leaving the ice cream shop with a cone.

TURN LEFT ON FOURTH AND LEFT ON GILCHRIST AVENUE, the route to the southern tip of Gasparilla Island. Gilchrist is filled with historic churches. On your left is the (11) ST. ANDREWS EPISCOPAL CHURCH, a 1908 country-style church at 380 Gilchrist Avenue. Go inside to view the round stained glass window over the alter and notice the communion rail kneelers in needlepoint.

At the end of the block is the (12) UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, the first chartered church on the island, with a plaque to Mary Frances Thompson. A HALF MILE DOWN Gilchrist you'll see the (13) COAST GUARD LIGHTHOUSE (1927), a narrow electric beacon designed to replace the notable antique. at the island tip. Across the street was the site of the BOCA GRANDE HOTEL (1930), a three story, 200 room resort by Italian immigrant Joseph Spadara. Hurricane Donna damaged it in 1960 and it was demolished in 1972.

CONTINUE DOWN TO THE SOUTHERN BEACH to the 13 acre Gasparilla Island State Park. You'll have to walk down the beach to the beautiful (14) GASPARILLA ISLAND LIGHTHOUSE (1890) and its matching keeper's house. By the parking lot is a little seaman's CHAPEL popular for waterside weddings.   This is my favorite lighthouse in Florida, not just because it was near where I lived in Englewood, but because there is a museum inside and it has two neat structures.  A 145-mph hurricane went across the island and sucked goods out of the gift shop, but didn’t hurt the structures.

 

SHELL COLLECTORS SPECIAL: STOP BY THE JOHANN FUST LIBRARY (1949) on Gasparilla on 9th Street to see the shell collection donated by winter resident Henry Francis DuPont. Another interesting spot is JOURNEY'S END (1914), on the Gulf at 18th Street, a complex of four two story cottages built of virgin pine from Arcadia.