History:
MissRachel
By Marcy Shortuse
Photos submitted by the BGHS
One of the better known, yet very
The Life and Times of
in Boca Grande
mysterious, island personalities of
days long past was a lady named
Miss Rachel. Few knew her last name, some
wondered if she even had one. She was
primarily known for owning the building
at 431 Park Avenue, which now houses
Gasparilla Outfi tters downstairs, and the
Boca Beacon/Gasparilla Magazine offi ce
upstairs. Miss Rachel lived and worked in
the building for many years, until her family
sold it to Nelson Italiano Sr. of Tampa.
1970s - Early Park Ave.
Within recent years the Italiano family
sold the building to Capt. Sandy and Robin
Melvin, who own Gasparilla Outfi tters/
Special Effects for Women, and Dusty and
Cheryl Hopkins who own the Boca Beacon
newspaper, as well as this magazine.
The “Rachel Building,” as it is known, was
one of the fi rst buildings on the street. Her
name was cut in a pink marble slab at the
entrance to the building for decades, and
when the sidewalk was redone that slab was
given to Miss Rachel’s granddaughter by
the Italianos. Though her name is no longer
there, her presence is still strongly felt by
those who know the history.
Rachel Lamberson was born on a
plantation in Mississippi some time around
the turn of the century. If you were to
ever ask her how old she was, her answer
inevitably was, “Over 21,” but in fact she was
born in 1892, the daughter of John Warner
Lamberson and Anna Virginia Ferris. Her
siblings were Jennie, John, Robert, Anna
Lou, Clarence, Fannie Sue, Naomi, Lewis,
Claude and Ferris. She also had a brother
that was stillborn, in 1902.
1952 - Rachel building - 4th St. & Park Ave.