Eldora State House after restoration, September 1999. Photo: Cindy Wilder |
Restoration of Eldora House
Eldora House, built in the 19th century, was once
the site of a major stop-over point for shippers and travelers in
the turn-of-the-century riverboat community of Eldora. Located on a
barrier island once occupied by Indians -- as evidenced by numerous
oyster and clam-shell mounds still dotting the landscape -- Eldora
was known as "Pumpkin Point." During the Reconstruction era, in
1877, Eldora became home to many Civil War veterans and their
families, and the land was quickly subdivided and sold. One of the
first of several large houses to be built in Eldora was one that
came to be known as Eldora House, and later Eldora Hotel, since it
later served as an overnight resting place for travelers on
steamboat paddle-wheelers.
When the railroad supplanted much of the area's water
travel beginning in the 1890s, and when the Federal Government's
new navigation channel, the Intracoastal Waterway, moved vessel
traffic to the other side of the lagoon, Eldora was struck a
crippling blow. During the 1920s it was home to winter duck hunters
and fishing camps for those surf fishing, harvesting oysters,
digging clams, and trapping crabs. Due to gas rationing and
security restrictions, these outdoor recreational activities
decreased during WW II; Eldora was adversely affected. Despite a
few businesses and restaurants that located there in subsequent
years, Eldora never totally recovered.
With the creation of the Canaveral National Seashore
in January 1975, Eldora and its properties were acquired by the
Federal government. One of the last original homes remaining, known
as the "State House" or "Eldora House," was renovated to become the
site of the National Park Service's Eldora History Museum, opened
to park visitors in May 1999, so visitors can experience some of
the history and legacy that was Eldora's.
The project is documented with a 13-page written
report, extended local newspaper coverage, including interviews of
Eldora-born Floridians, 13 printed digital photographs, a videotape
of the "Completion Celebration" of the restoration, copies of
archival photographs from the Eldora History Museum, and 13
original color snapshots.
Originally submitted by: John L. Mica, Representative (7th District).
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