Sitting just off 4th Street on Palm Avenue’s west side is a very
comfortable-looking little place called The Palmetto Inn. It has
seen the faces of world-renowned dignitaries and Boca Grande
legends come and go over the threshold, and has seen joy and
tragedy within its walls since its doors opened in 1913.
In 1897 the block where the Palmetto Inn is located was officially
put into record with Lee County. Ten years later the Boca Grande
Land Company began selling those lots, and in 1908 they sold that
particular lot to Bertie Martin. A house was built there. In 1912
Bertie sold that property to J.G. Newsome, and it was transferred to
W.A. Johnson of DeSoto County in May of 1913.
A year later the property was sold to Charles Edward LeRoy, and
in 1913 he and his mother, Nellie Sprott (formerly Nellie Bargesser)
opened it as a hotel called The Palmetto Inn. After the building was
remodeled there was a total of eight units for guests.
Oddly enough, there are those who have reported there was a pet
bear that used to be tied to a tree in the front yard.
In 1926 Nellie was ill and remarried, and she leased the inn to her
sister, Anna, and her husband (Nellie’s ex), William Sprott. The terms
were for five years at $100 per month.
HISTORY
Former owner Bev Furtado
with Len Tatko.
May/June 2019 GASPARILLA ISLAND 59
Established in 1913 ...