Melbourne Village in Brevard County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
Original Melbourne Village Hall
Photographed by Jamie Cox, February 13, 2012
1. Original Melbourne Village Hall Marker
Inscription.
Original Melbourne Village Hall. . This community hall was constructed, circa 1941, as a barracks on the Banana River Naval Air Station. Following World War II, the Naval Air Station became Patrick Air Force Base. In 1948, this building was declared surplus, and sold to the American Homesteading Foundation (AHF), located in Melbourne Village, Florida. The building was barged down the Banana River and Indian River to Melbourne and trucked on the then two-lane U.S. Route 192 to this location. As the center of Village life, the Hall was used for AHF Trustee meetings and annual AHF Membership meetings. It was also used for square dancing, life saving and first aid classes, Women's Guild activities, study groups for organic gardening, art and drama, plus children's crafts, drama, and story time programs. From 1957 until 1963, it provided office space for the newly incorporated Town of Melbourne Village. After 1963, it was used for recreational activities and the Village Men's Club. In 1996, the Town of Melbourne Village Historic Preservation Commission began a campaign to restore this historic landmark. The Town of Melbourne Village with the support of a grant from Brevard County completed the restoration in 2003. A Florida Heritage Landmark.
This community hall was constructed, circa 1941, as a barracks on the Banana River Naval Air Station. Following World War II, the Naval Air Station became Patrick Air Force Base. In 1948, this building was declared surplus, and sold to the American Homesteading Foundation (AHF), located in Melbourne Village, Florida. The building was barged down the Banana River and Indian River to Melbourne and trucked on the then two-lane U.S. Route 192 to this location. As the center of Village life, the Hall was used for AHF Trustee meetings and annual AHF Membership meetings. It was also used for square dancing, life saving and first aid classes, Women's Guild activities, study groups for organic gardening, art and drama, plus children's crafts, drama, and story time programs. From 1957 until 1963, it provided office space for the newly incorporated Town of Melbourne Village. After 1963, it was used for recreational activities and the Village Men's Club. In 1996, the Town of Melbourne Village Historic Preservation Commission began a campaign to restore this historic landmark. The Town of Melbourne Village with the support of a grant from Brevard County completed the restoration in 2003. A Florida Heritage Landmark.
Location. 28° 5.091′ N, 80° 39.884′ W. Marker is in Melbourne Village, Florida, in Brevard County. It is on Hall Drive. Marker is located at the end of Hall Drive which is a dirt road as of 2012. Hall Drive can be reached from Dayton Boulevard off of US 192. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Melbourne FL 32904, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Florida’s Space Coast. It is also in the American South. 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 Antebellum South.
Another marker is no longer nearby. Holy Trinity Episcopal Church (was approx. 2.6 miles away but has been confirmed missing).
Additional keywords.
Photographed by Jamie Cox, February 13, 2012
2. Original Melbourne Village Hall
Formerly a barracks at NAS Banana River
NAS
Photographed by Jamie Cox, February 13, 2012
3. Original Melbourne Village Hall
Photographed by Jamie Cox, February 13, 2012
4. Hester Wagner Community House
aka Melbourne Village Hall
Credits. This page was last revised on January 26, 2020. It was originally submitted on February 17, 2012, by Jamie Cox of Melbourne, Florida. This page has been viewed 1,289 times since then and 42 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on February 17, 2012, by Jamie Cox of Melbourne, Florida. • Craig Swain was the editor who published this page.
