Melbourne in Brevard County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)

Billy Wallace House

Photographed by Jamie Cox, April 19, 2014

1. Billy Wallace House Marker

Inscription. This house was built circa 1898-1900 by William O. Wallace from Indiana, who lived here with his wife, May Bell and their four children. An expert fisherman and musician, Wallace kept backyard pens filled with live alligators, turtles and fish for nature study. He loved the river and taught children the ways of manatees and porpoises. He shared the fish he caught with other settlers and with the pelicans. Sandhill cranes ate with his chickens, and a tame fawn roamed the yard.

Wallace organized and directed Melbourne’s first orchestra composed of his children and their cousins, the older children of Charles and Addie Wallace Shull who lived nearby. “Uncle Billy’s Band” played at parties at the old Carlton Hotel and at early 4th of July celebrations in Melbourne. Wallace later became the first city band director in West Palm Beach.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Entertainment.

Location. 28° 4.188′ N, 80° 35.886′ W. Marker is in Melbourne, Florida, in Brevard County. It is on Riverview Drive 0.1 miles north of Jernigan Avenue, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2612 Riverview Drive, Melbourne FL 32901, 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.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

are within walking distance of this marker: Union Cypress Sawmill (approx. 0.4 miles away); Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church (approx. 0.4 miles away); Crenshaw Hotel (approx. half a mile away); First Post Office Site (approx. 0.6 miles away); Line Street Cemetery (approx. 0.6 miles away); Florida East Coast Railroad (approx. 0.7 miles away); Front Street (approx. 0.7 miles away); History of the 1900 Building (approx. 0.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Melbourne.

Another marker is no longer nearby. Orange Spot Inn (was approx. 0.7 miles away but has been confirmed missing).

The Billy Wallace House image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Jamie Cox, April 19, 2014

2. The Billy Wallace House

Billy Wallace House and Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Diane Murphy

3. Billy Wallace House and Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on February 4, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 19, 2014, by Jamie Cox of Melbourne, Florida. This page has been viewed 1,686 times since then and 67 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 19, 2014, by Jamie Cox of Melbourne, Florida. 3. submitted on February 3, 2023, by Diane Murphy of Saint Cloud, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.