Eugenia McSwain Martin
Corwin "Corky" Coker
The
Brownville School
The Brownville School was built in
1927-28. J.C. Harris was
the architect
who built it and supervised the
construction. It was one of
five DeSoto
County schools to be closed in 1947
when the school system was consolidated and students
were bused into town. Since that time the building
has been used as a VFW Hall, community center,
federal food commodities distribution office, storm
shelter, polling place and a training program for adult mentally
handicapped persons. In July 2004 the property was leased to the
DeSoto County Historical Society by the DeSoto County
School District.
Early picture of the Brownville School.
Picture of the Brownville
School before Hurricane Charley.
Rear view of the school at
the Historical Society Open House, July 2004.
View of the schoolyard at the
Historical Society Open House, July 2004.
View of an interior classroom
after Hurricane Charley.
View of the schoolyard after
Hurricane Charley.
The J.
Morgan Ingraham House
The Ingraham House is named
for Mr. John Morgan Ingraham who lived there for many years. Mr
Morgan represented DeSoto County in Tallahassee from
1945-1949. He succeeded in a push to get a fence law in
place in Florida and to secure a $500,000 grant to convert
Carlstrom Field into the G. Pierce Wood Memorial Hospital.
He died at age 96 on February 29, 1980, a man highly respected
by his legislative peers. Tom and Marguerite Hankins inherited
the home upon Mr. Ingraham's death and they donated the
property to the DeSoto County Historical Society April 20, 2001.
The plans are to restore the house to its original
condition as an excellent example of a turn of the century
"cracker house".
The Ingraham family
is shown here in front of the house, mid
1920's.
Mr.Ingraham, in his side
yard, early 1970's.
J. Morgan Ingraham's
burial place in OakRidge Cemetery, Arcadia,
Florida.
Westside view of house as
restoration was started.
Northside view of house
as restoration was started.
Southside view of
house depicted in a painting by noted artist John
Fales.
Southside view of house
after Hurricane Charley.
Eastside view of house
after Hurricane Charley.
We have
been very busy building a new fence around the Ingraham
House. View our results
below.
Harold McLeod standing by his car after
finishing up gate he built.
Harold McLeod holding the connection for the
grinder that James Westberry is using to put the finishing
touches on the gate that Harold had just
built.
The Roe house was severely
damaged by Hurricane Charley and has been sold to the city
of Arcadia to be used for the site of our new Police and
Fire Stations.
The city has given DCHS the opportunity to
recover any period material they can from the old home
to be used in the restoration of the J. Morgan Ingraham
House.
Arthur Roe standing outside of the house he
grew up in.
Arthur sharing some of the history of the house
with James Westberry inside the house in which he grew
up.