The Sanibel Historical Village and Museum is dedicated to early settlers of the Island. Farmers and fishermen, clergy and teachers, they shared hardships and dreams. The seven buildings that make up the Village offer a glimpse of their lives.
The Rutland House, built in 1913, typifies the Florida “cracker” style, designed for comfort in a very warm climate. Visitors discover pre-electric amusements, at least four ways to combat mosquitoes and a country kitchen with gadgets to confound.
A walk past a small garden leads to the Old Bailey Store, a typical general store of the early 1900s. Often parked in front of the store by the twin Red Crown gas pumps (gravity-fed) is the restored 1926 Model T Ford delivery truck. Reminders of the ferry and freight docks that once stretched into San Carlos Bay are also beside the lake.
Further on, the latest addition to the Village is a 1925 Sears Roebuck catalog cottage showcasing all the built-ins that came with the kit. Deemed “very livable” by visitors, the cottage called “Morning Glories” is period-furnished in vintage white wicker.
The 1926 Post Office indicates the size of the community and the resourcefulness of islanders. The tiny structure was built with scrap lumber salvaged from the mangrove swamps after a hurricane.
Miss Charlotta’s Tea Room is another example of “make do.” Originally designed as a gas station, it briefly became a store, then a small café and finally a home. Restored as it was in the late ’20s and early ’30s when Charlotta Matthews served light fare, the tea room offers a place to sit and relax.
The oldest building, dating to 1898, is the Burnap Cottage. Displays recall its history as a beach cottage and site of an itinerant preacher’s Sunday sermons, and the little house holds a trove of Sanibel Lighthouse memorabilia, including an authentic lens mounted on a replica turntable.
The latest addition to the village is the Island’s original one-room schoolhouse. It was moved in late 2004 from its original location.
The Village and Museum are open from 10am-4pm Wed.-Sat. from November 1 to May 31, and 10am-1pm June 1 to mid-August. Docents greet all visitors and relate the history (or tell tales) of Sanibel.
Location is 950 Dunlop Road, Sanibel, FL, 33957. A donation of $5 per adult is suggested. Tour groups are welcomed but advance notice is much appreciated. For more information, call 239-472-4648. |
