SOCIETY
D
id you know that Naples, Florida, was ultimately
settled and developed by a Louisville, Kentucky,
senator and wealthy publisher in the late 1800s? Or
that the Tamiami Trail was completed in 1928, connecting
Naples to Tampa and Miami?
You can find more interesting facts like these at Naples
Historical Society’s Historic Palm Cottage™, the oldest house
in Naples (built 1895). The Cottage is the Society’s educational
headquarters.
At 3,500 square feet, the exquisitely maintained
house-turned-museum (which recently underwent substantial
capital improvements) is a fine example of Tabbie Mortar construction, a handmade concrete consisting of sand, shells and
water. A fascinating tour of the cottage transports visitors back
over 100 years. In addition to the house tour is a popular walking tour of the Naples Historic District and a docent-guided
tour of The Norris Gardens at Palm Cottage.
To further educate community residents and visitors alike, the
Community Foundation of Collier County granted $4,000
towards the Society’s latest preservation initiative, the Archival
Viewing Center.
Peruse over images from the devastating 1926 hurricane (hurricanes were not named until the 1940s) and documents from
The Society’s mission to preserve Naples history for the community and future generations is accomplished through its
commitment to numerous educational programs and preservation initiatives. This includes a massive and ongoing, Telly
Award-winning oral history project, “Naples Oral Histories:
If These Walls Could Talk,” two highly regarded children’s
educational programs, “Pupils at Palm Cottage” and “Art in
the Garden,” as well as a popular lecture series, “Garden Side
Chickee Chats.”
Still there are several other educational programs that
strengthen the bounty of preserved history like the new
“Council of Longtime Friends,” a program that relies on
self-proclaimed old timers who provide valuable identification
information for hundreds of archival photos.
Elaine Reed is the executive director of the Naples Historical Society.
the Old Naples Hotel that list prices ranging from $42/week to
$140/week—an extravagant amount of money for 1924, considering the average annual salary for most people was roughly
$2,200—and much more.
“There is no accession and record-keeping
system in Collier County like this; it rivals the archival standard operating protocol of larger museums and institutions
in Washington, D.C. I am very pleased
and excited about it,” Elaine Reed states.
Visit the Palm Cottage at 137 12th Ave. S., Naples, FL 34102
or call 239.261.8164 for more information.
Community Foundation of Collier County | cfcollier.org
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