National Register of Historic Places

Freeman, A. C., House

Punta Gorda, Charlotte County, Florida
Listed
January 7, 1987
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
86003648

About this property

The A. C. Freeman House (also known as the Gilchrist House) is a historic house located at 311 West Retta Esplanade in Punta Gorda, Florida. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. The house is owned by the City of Punta Gorda, Florida and is leased to the Charlotte County Chamber of Commerce. It is open to the public. It was deemed significant for reflecting Queen Anne style architecture, asserted to be rare in South Florida, and for association with businessman and politician Augustus C. Freeman. Freeman owned a hardware store and a citrus grove, among other ventures. He served in various city government positions from 1896 to 1904, including as mayor during the later four or five years. During the 1902 mayoral campaign he was described as "'Industrious, frugal and obliging... well-to-do, but probably not a millionaire'". The land was purchased by Freeman in 1903 from Albert Gilchrist, who later became Governor of the state, and there has been a local legend that the house belonged to him, but in fact it was built for Freeman. The house was moved two blocks in 1985 before a restoration began, but the move was not deemed to have disturbed historic integrity. It was moved again in 2005 to city property following Hurricane Charley. A.C. Freeman House, at Florida's Office of Cultural and Historical Programs A. C. Freeman House - Punta Gorda Historical Society

Location

639 E. Hargreaves Ave.
Punta Gorda, Charlotte County, Florida
26.93864, -82.04076

Categories

POLITICS/GOVERNMENTARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Smith, H. W., Building
Industrial
0.5 mi
Punta Gorda Ice Plant
Industrial
0.6 mi
First National Bank of Punta Gorda, Old
Industrial
0.6 mi
Punta Gorda Atlantic Coast Line Depot
Industrial
0.7 mi
Punta Gorda Woman's Club
Industrial
0.7 mi

Questions about this property

When was Freeman, A. C., House listed on the National Register?

Freeman, A. C., House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 7, 1987.

What type of historic resource is Freeman, A. C., House?

Freeman, A. C., House is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Freeman, A. C., House?

The period of significance for Freeman, A. C., House is recorded as the industrial era.

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