Everglade City in Collier County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
Old Laundry Building - Everglades Women's Club
Photographed By Sandra Hughes, October 3, 2015
1. Old Laundry Building - Everglade Women's Club Marker
Inscription.
Old Laundry Building - Everglades Women's Club. . The first permanent white settlers arrived in this region in the late 19th century. A community dependent on hunting, fishing, and farming soon emerged. The land upon which Everglades City now stands was acquired in 1921-22 by Barron Collier, a wealthy advertising man. In 1923 Collier County was formed with the Town of Everglades as county seat. A planned town, it was built on filled land at Collier’s direction, service facilities were provided, and by 1928 this building had been completed as a community laundry. That year also marked the opening of the Tamiami Trail from Tampa to Miami and completion of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad into Everglades. After a prosperous beginning the town suffered economically during the depression and World War II. The town of Everglades was changed by charter into Everglades City in 1953 and the community moved away from its “company town” origins. This structure ceased to function as a laundry after world war two but remained Collier-owned until 1963. In that year the Everglades Women’s Club, founded in 1928, but later disbanded, was reactivated and in 1965 purchased the building for use as a clubhouse. The structure retains the typical appearance of the company town period.
The first permanent white settlers arrived in this region in the late 19th century. A community dependent on hunting, fishing, and farming soon emerged. The land upon which Everglades City now stands was acquired in 1921-22 by Barron Collier, a wealthy advertising man. In 1923 Collier County was formed with the Town of Everglades as county seat. A planned town, it was built on filled land at Collier’s direction, service facilities were provided, and by 1928 this building had been completed as a community laundry. That year also marked the opening of the Tamiami Trail from Tampa to Miami and completion of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad into Everglades. After a prosperous beginning the town suffered economically during the depression and World War II. The town of Everglades was changed by charter into Everglades City in 1953 and the community moved away from its “company town” origins. This structure ceased to function as a laundry after WWII but remained Collier-owned until 1963. In that year the Everglades Women’s Club, founded in 1928, but later disbanded, was reactivated and in 1965 purchased the building for use as a clubhouse. The structure retains the typical appearance of the company town period.
Erected 1976 by Everglades Women's Club in Cooperation with the Department of
Location. 25° 51.441′ N, 81° 23.158′ W. Marker is in Everglade City, Florida, in Collier County. Marker is at the intersection of Broadway Avenue West and Storter Avenue South, on the right when traveling east on Broadway Avenue West. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 105 Broadway Ave W, Everglades City FL 34139, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior 1927
Credits. This page was last revised on October 9, 2020. It was originally submitted on October 30, 2015, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA. This page has been viewed 489 times since then and 25 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. submitted on October 30, 2015, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
