National Register of Historic Places

Green Gables

Melbourne, Brevard County, Florida
Listed
May 17, 2016
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
16000269

About this property

Green Gables, also known as the Wells House, is a historic home at 1501 South Harbor City Boulevard in Melbourne, Florida, United States. The house fronts the Indian River and is one of a few Queen Anne style homes that still exist in Brevard County. Local businessman William T. Wells purchased the property from the Strobah family, who were early landowners in Melbourne. He built the Green Gables in 1886 with his wife Nora Stanford Wells as a winter home. Green Gables is an example of Queen Anne style architecture, and it is believed to be the first home in the area with indoor plumbing and an indoor bathroom. It was also one of the first homes in Melbourne to have electricity. It is a two-story, six-bedroom house with an octagon-shaped porch. On May 18, 2016, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. The original property was 150 acres that included the area now occupied by Wells Park and the Melbourne Public Library on East Fee Avenue and Hickory Street. Green Gables was scheduled for demolition in 2015, but a group of local historians and community volunteers are working with the owners, fourth generation family members, to save the house due to its historical significance to the area. In May 2018, the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation included the house on its "11 to save list". The community needed $500,000 to salvage the house as of April 2020. In July 2022 Green Gables was awarded a $500,000 Special Category Grant from the Division of Historic Resources from the State of Florida. On June 12, 2023, Ownership of Green Gables was transferred to the non-profit organization of Green Gables at Historic Riverview Village.

Location

1501 South Harbor City
Melbourne, Brevard County, Florida
28.08458, -80.60529

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
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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Native Heritage
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Nearby Historic Sites

Melbourne Beach Pier
Industrial
2.5 mi
Community Chapel of Melbourne Beach
Industrial
2.8 mi
Rossetter, James Wadsworth, House
Industrial
3.3 mi
St. Joseph's Catholic Church
Industrial
3.7 mi
Gleason, William H., House
Industrial
3.8 mi

Questions about this property

When was Green Gables listed on the National Register?

Green Gables was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 17, 2016.

What type of historic resource is Green Gables?

Green Gables is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Green Gables?

The period of significance for Green Gables is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Green Gables?

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