Community History
Letters: Thank you to History Bytes participants
March 20, 2025
To the Editor:
The Boca Grande Historical Society History Bytes for this season is in the “Books!”
I can’t say enough about what a wonderful group of speakers shared a “Byte”!
A special THA…
Future of Amory Chapel still unclear
March 13, 2025
The fate of the Amory Chapel, severely damaged during hurricanes Helene and Milton, is still in question. The issue came up after the Boca Beacon raised it with Lee County Planner Peter Blackwell at…
‘Out of Time’ movie scene helps Preservation Board decision on store
March 13, 2025
A group of routine house elevations easily passed the Boca Grande Preservation Board at its monthly meeting on Wednesday, March 12, but it was a movie still from the 2003 Boca Grande movie “Out of T…
Question on whether awning and window treatment is ‘historic’
March 6, 2025
Four residential projects, as well as a commercial façade improvement, will come in front of the next meeting of the Boca Grande Historic Preservation Board at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, March 12, at the…
Old Placida bunkhouse may yet return to fishery
February 27, 2025
Charlotte County is now looking to return the old Placida Bunkhouse back to Placida for restoration, in a site possibly north of the Causeway stoplight.
Resident John Valickas has been working wi…
Hurricane rehabs on Preservation Board agenda
February 27, 2025
The Boca Grande Historic Preservation Board has scheduled a meeting for Wednesday, March 12 at 10 a.m., at the Community Center Auditorium, 131 1st Street W.
Five projects are set to be discusse…
When radio came to Boca Grande: Gasparilla Island in the Roaring Twenties
February 27, 2025
BY JAMES J. BLAHA, DIRECTOR BOCA GRANDE HISTORY CENTER
The Roaring Twenties and The Jazz Age are just a few of the labels that historians have applied to this unique period of U.S. history. Altho…
History Bytes: Capt. Van Hubbard talks of marine habitat and blessings
February 27, 2025
Laughter and tears mixed freely as Capt. Van Hubbard recalled the fishing life of Boca Grande in the days gone by, especially throughout the 1980s, when the fishing was plentiful and the community s…
Preservation Board approves cottage
February 20, 2025
The Boca Grande Historic Preservation Board approved one project at their regular meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 12. The project was a request to elevate a guest house at 300 Third Street.
The board…
Building permit speed addressed at Preservation Board
February 20, 2025
At the most recent Boca Grande Historic Preservation Board meeting, the issue of the speed of Lee County building permits came up. Member Becky Paterson had an issue of the speed of permits for her…