Punta Gorda in Charlotte County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)

Charlotte High School

Photographed by Tim Fillmon, June 21, 2016

1. Charlotte High School Marker

Inscription. Originally named the Punta Gorda High School, this building was the first dedicated high school for the newly created Charlotte County (1921), replacing the previous 1907 Punta Gorda Grammar and High School. Construction of the school began in 1926 in response to student overcrowding caused by rapid development after the first bridge was built across Charlotte Harbor. Construction was delayed that year due to a hurricane, and the first commencement took place in the school’s auditorium, as the building’s classrooms were still under construction. The school served as Charlotte County’s only high school for 49 years and was one of the first high schools in the state to desegregate in 1963. In 1990, the austere Neo-Classical Revival style building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Charlotte High School survived multiple hurricanes over time, but was significantly damaged by Hurricane Charley on August 13, 2004. The school was re-opened on April 2, 2009. Despite ongoing construction work around the school at the time, Charlotte High School’s class of 2009 was able to complete its senior year in the original

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school building, much like the first class had 82 years earlier.

Erected 2010 by The Charlotte County Public Schools and the Florida Department of State. (Marker Number F-690.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Education • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1926.

Location. 26° 55.617′ N, 82° 2.366′ W. Marker is in Punta Gorda, Florida, in Charlotte County. It is at the intersection of Cooper Street and East McKenzie Street, on the right when traveling north on Cooper Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1250 Cooper Street, Punta Gorda FL 33950, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on Florida’s Gulf Coast.

It is also in the American South

and on the Gulf Coast.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the

Photographed by Tim Fillmon, June 21, 2016

2. Charlotte High School Marker

Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Punta Gorda Atlantic Coast Line Depot (approx. 0.4 miles away); Punta Gorda Railroad Depot (approx. 0.4 miles away); Bailey Brothers Park (approx. ¾ mile away); Charlotte County Courthouse (approx. 0.8 miles away); Hector House Plaza: The Founding of Punta Gorda (approx. 0.9 miles away); City of Punta Gorda (approx. one mile away); The Punta Gorda Bank (approx. one mile away); Albert Waller Gilchrist (approx. one mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Punta Gorda.

Another marker is no longer nearby. Site of Hotel Punta Gorda (was approx. 0.9 miles away but has been confirmed missing).

Also see . . . Charlotte High School. (Submitted on February 22, 2021, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida.)

Credits. This page was last revised on February 12, 2023. It was originally submitted on February 22, 2021, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. This page has been viewed 950 times since then and 89 times this year. Last updated on February 11, 2023, by Kelly Gaylord of Punta Gorda, Florida. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on February 22, 2021, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.