Vintage Brevard 20

Afternoon, Brevard !! Here's a shot looking northwest of the wonderful Hotel Carleton, right at the corner of Strawbridge Ave., and Riverview Dr. The Carleton was the hotel of choice for visitors to early Melbourne, located right atop the hill separating the initial commercial district of Front Street, and the residences up the Trysting Steps along the Bluff Walk and what was then Indian River Avenue (now Riverview Drive). Built in 1887, it was owned by Jennie & Emma Strawbridge (ahhh....), and open for the high tourist season between November and April. Even residents like the Wells family of Green Gables fame were fond of using the hotel as a satellite venue for entertaining ! When the original structure caught fire in 1903, it was quickly rebuilt and expanded, but it again caught fire in March of 1925, destroyed and never rebuilt.

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