May 28, 2005
Why Tin Roofs Were Popular in Punta Gorda
Hurricane Charley has brought tin roofs back into style hereabouts, having proven sturdier than asphalt or masonry tiles – and certainly an improvement over “blue tarps.”
It is generally believed that tin roofs on houses reflect "Old Florida" style, but such an assumption depends upon what one considers old. In the case of Punta Gorda, "old" means a hundred years.
Houses there originally had roofs of wood shingles. Such material was cheaply available from the bountiful forest of pine, oak and cypress near by.
It was not until the Great Fire of 1905 that demand for expensive terne plate -- sheet-iron coated with an alloy of tin and lead -- came into general use.
Fire was a constant hazard for early Charlotte County settlers. Homes were constructed of "lightered" pine heavy with flammable turpentine and rosin. Roofs were of wood shingles, generally cypress.
Cast iron stoves were fueled with pine knots that burned with a fierce flame. The hot smoke soon ate through chimneys of home-made brick and soft cement of roasted seashells. All were ingredients for disaster from defective flues and floating sparks.
When the Florida Southern Railway arrived in 1886, it ran a line down King Street (Tamiami Trail north) to the huge Hotel Punta Gorda and onto a dock lined with fish-packing shanties.
Sparks from the wood-burning locomotives several times set fire to wood-shingled buildings near the tracks.
First Fire
Punta Gorda's first major fire occurred in November 1895 – ten years after Col. Isaac Trabue founded the town.
The blaze started in Gus Hart's Ship Chandlery-- and unofficial bank -- on the southeast corner of Retta Esplanade and Cross Street (Tamiami Trail south).
Then the fire spread to the 2-year-old Punta Gorda Herald building -- which also was the home of Publisher-editor Kirby Seward on Cross Street.
It was publication day for the newspaper. Seward had just handed his compositor the last batch of copy.
Noticing the air was laden with dense, black smoke, Seward looked out a window and saw flames coming from the upper rear windows of Hart's store. This was doubly alarming, for Seward's shop was only an alley-width away.
Seward rushed to tell Hart his building was on fire. He had difficulty convincing Hart that he was telling the truth. Strenuous efforts to control the blaze were unavailing. Both buildings were destroyed. Two employees in the Herald office were able to remove a few cases of type and a small cabinet. The press could not be rescued because of its weight.
The young publisher was discouraged, and for a time contemplated giving up. However, he was dissuaded by his brother-in-law James Sandlin and other business men who loaned him money to start over.
This frightening fire led the little town to buy a two-wheel hand-operated pump cart and to dig seven large wells eight-feet square as reservoirs for fighting fires.
By 1902 the wells were stagnant, so City Council paid P.S. Cook $59 to fill them in. This proved a big mistake because a still greater fire broke out March 18, 1905. A graphic account is furnished by a Herald extra:
DISASTROUS FIRE! TWELVE BUILDINGS LAID IN ASHES
“About 2 o'clock this morning, fire broke out in the baking department of H.W. Smith's Bakery on the corner of Taylor Street and Marion Avenue. By 5 o'clock it had destroyed every building on the south side of the avenue from the bakery to the Frank Blount Grocery.
“The fire, when discovered, had gained such headway that the Smith family, who lived upstairs in the bakery, barely had time to escape. They saved but a small part of their household goods and stock of merchandise.
“They were sound asleep at the time and were aroused by Guy Davis, who was on the night shift at the Ice Factory. He was the first one to discover the fire and promptly rushed to the scene, giving the alarm as he ran. Those who heard him, fired pistols and guns to awaken others.
“Pretty soon, nearly everybody in town -- men, women and children -- were at the scene. Desperate efforts were made to save Hotel Dade, which caught repeatedly. Thanks to there being little or no wind, it was finally saved.
“The fire spread rapidly to the east and south.
“In a few hours it consumed the homes of Charles Smith, William Demere and the Chinese Laundry, on the south; the pool room, Roberts' Drug Store, the Connolly residence, the Punta Gorda Market and Ship Supply Company's store and warehouse, the post office, R.C. Blount's Clothing Store, Rasch's Barber Shop, and Register's Ice Cream Room on the east.
“At Register's place, by extraordinary exertions of a throng of willing workers, the progress of the conflagration was stopped.
“This was accomplished by the help of the apparatus of Hotel Punta Gorda. As soon as Manager Concannon was aroused, he had the hotel engines fired up and the hose made ready. But there was only one line of hose available.
“This had to do double duty in protecting the hotel and throwing water on the burning buildings opposite. Otherwise, the fire might have been checked sooner.
“As the flames raged, many people were engaged in carrying goods out of endangered buildings.
“The Telegraph office and Gordon Perkins' Grocery were quickly emptied of their contents which were carried out into the plaza in front. On Taylor Street, Charles Smith and the Demere family saved a little of their furniture; and the Chinamen saved the clothing they had in the laundry.
“Meanwhile, from the Smith Bakery east to the railroad, a large crowd of men and boys -- aided by drays and push carts -- were exercising every energy to save merchandise and furniture. Goods were rapidly removed from front and back doors and taken to places of safety. “The billiard tables in the pool room could not be moved and were, consequently, destroyed. They belonged to the Addison brothers. About half of the stock of the Roberts Drug Store was saved. Mrs. Connolly saved only a few of her household goods.
“Postmaster Mizell directed his efforts to saving the mails and records from the post office. In this he succeeded. He also saved all the lock boxes, but it cost him heavily in the loss of goods in his store adjoining. His men saved a large part of the stock in the warehouse in the rear, but nearly everything in the store was lost.
“R.C. Blount succeeded in saving nearly all of his stock of clothing. Johnnie Rasch saved all of his barber shop equipment, except a stove and a desk. He has reopened down the avenue two doors from the hardware store.
“Frank Blount and his men, with drays and carts, got nearly all their goods moved out by the time the flames were licking the west side of the store. This morning they were engaged in moving them back.
“J.W. Bennett, the grocer across the alley, had the same experience. So did the hardware company and G.W. Gatewood.
“The post office and the Punta Gorda Market and Ship Supply Company have opened up in the bank block in the store formerly occupied by the Trading Company.
“Roberts Drug Store has reopened in the Stetson Store adjoining J.R. Elliott's dry goods house. H.W. Smith has put the remnants of his groceries and confectioneries in the small room adjoining Hotel King, otherwise the Commercial House.
“The telegraph office is located for today in the railway depot. R.C. Blount has reopened in Guthrie's former poolroom adjoining Frank R. Blount. Register has moved into the Stetson Store opposite Elliott's.
“Total estimated losses, $18,500 -- less than half of which is covered by insurance. Most of the merchants carried insurance on their stocks, but it seems that owners of the buildings had none.
“Every one who has lost is feeling it keenly. Several people -- particularly Mrs. Connolly, H.W. Smith and William Demere -- have suffered seriously.
“During the conflagration, only a gentle breeze was blowing. Otherwise, the entire business portion of town might have been destroyed. The disaster emphasizes the imperative need of fire protection. Everyone is agreed on this.”
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After this, Punta Gorda Council adopted an ordinance requiring that all buildings in the eight-square-block central district be built of "concrete, steel, iron, cement, brick or stone." Owners of these, and most new homes, imported tin-sheet for fire-proof roofs.
Second Great Fire
Unfortunately, there were still many vulnerable, frame buildings in the central district. These continued to be a fire hazard.
A second Great Fire in 1912 wiped out the main businesses that had escaped the 1905 blaze -- including the King (Commercial) Hotel and the Wotitzky General Merchandise Store.
The following year, a string of fires wiped out the Livery Stable, Punta Gorda Hardware, Welch Block, the new Punta Gorda Cigar Company factory and in 1914 the Sandlin home on Sullivan Street.
These fires led to formation of the first volunteer fire department and construction of an elevated water tank on King street. And none too soon. A potential devastating fire on the railroad dock in 1915 was checked by the new volunteers.
These measures -- coupled with the growing popularity of tin roofs and kerosene cook stoves -- finally brought wild-fire blazes in Punta Gorda under control.
Tin roofs have been revived by their better resistance to strong winds, as well as to errant sparks. We grow too soon old and too late smart.
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Cutlines
Photos from U.S. Cleveland Collection
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NEXT BLAZE -- This view of Marion Avenue – looking east from Cross Street (now U.S. 41 south) was taken in 1912 shortly before the Second Great Fire wiped out most of the building shown that were spared by the First Great Fire. Note kerosene street lamp, left, in front of Goldstein Furniture Store. Two-story building, right was Wotitzky General store. Left of that was office of Albert Gilchrist, then Governor of Florida. Only Goldstein’s store – heavily damaged by Hurricane Charley but restored – still stands.
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SPARK PRODUCER -- The Florida Southern Railway line ran down middle of King Street and showered sparks from its wood-burning locomotive and causing several fires to wood-shingled buildings nearby. This view shows the first passenger train arriving at Punta Gorda in June 1886.
Author: Lindsey Williams
