Melbourne in Brevard County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
The William H. Gleason House
Photographed by Jamie Cox, March 25, 2013
1. The William H. Gleason House Marker
Inscription.
The William H. Gleason House was built around 1884 by William Henry Gleason (c. 1830-1902) and his wife Sarah Griffin Gleason. Gleason came to Florida in 1866 with his wife and two sons from Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and settled in Dade County. In 1870, he bought a 16,000-acre tract of land in Brevard County and named the area Eau Gallie ("Eau" from his hometown, meaning water, and "Gallie," a derivative of a Seminole word meaning rocky). Convinced the area was likely to develop, Gleason moved his family to Eau Gallie in 1882. Here he practiced law, was a partner in a sawmill business, and was director of the town's first bank, the State Bank of Eau Gallie. In 1887, he convinced Henry Flagler to extend his railroad to Eau Gallie by offering the railroad right-of-way through the area. Gleason was also interested in politics during Reconstruction, and was instrumental in framing the 1868 state constitution. He was Florida's first elected Lieutenant Governor, under Governor Harris Reed, in 1868. The Gleason House is an outstanding example of Queen Anne style architecture and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997.
The William H. Gleason House was built around 1884 by William Henry Gleason (c. 1830-1902) and his wife Sarah Griffin Gleason. Gleason came to Florida in 1866 with his wife and two sons from Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and settled in Dade County. In 1870, he bought a 16,000-acre tract of land in Brevard County and named the area Eau Gallie ("Eau" from his hometown, meaning water, and "Gallie," a derivative of a Seminole word meaning rocky). Convinced the area was likely to develop, Gleason moved his family to Eau Gallie in 1882. Here he practiced law, was a partner in a sawmill business, and was director of the town's first bank, the State Bank of Eau Gallie. In 1887, he convinced Henry Flagler to extend his railroad to Eau Gallie by offering the railroad right-of-way through the area. Gleason was also interested in politics during Reconstruction, and was instrumental in framing the 1868 state constitution. He was Florida's first elected Lieutenant Governor, under Governor Harris Reed, in 1868. The Gleason House is an outstanding example of Queen Anne style architecture and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
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in 1997.
Erected 2013 by The Brevard County Historical Commission The Brevard County Tourist Development Council and the Florida Department of State. (Marker Number F-764.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1884.
Location. 28° 8.11′ N, 80° 37.72′ W. Marker is in Melbourne, Florida, in Brevard County. It is at the intersection of Pineapple Avenue and Law Street, on the left when traveling south on Pineapple Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Melbourne FL 32935, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Florida’s Space Coast. It is also in the American South and on the Eastern Seaboard. 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.
The Gleason home is now a bed and breakfast, the Old Pineapple Inn.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 22, 2026. It was originally submitted on November 7, 2011, by Jamie Cox of Melbourne, Florida. This page has been viewed 4,997 times since then and 531 times this year. Last updated on March 25, 2013, by Jamie Cox of Melbourne, Florida. Photos:1. submitted on March 25, 2013, by Jamie Cox of Melbourne, Florida. 2. submitted on June 4, 2019, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. 3. submitted on November 7, 2011, by Jamie Cox of Melbourne, Florida. 4. submitted on March 25, 2013, by Jamie Cox of Melbourne, Florida. 5. submitted on November 7, 2011, by Jamie Cox of Melbourne, Florida. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
