The Carroll Alsop House was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1947 and completed in 1951.  It is located on the east edge of Oskaloosa, Iowa.   It is one of the six Frank Lloyd Wright designed Usonian houses in Iowa.

      Mister Alsop was a clothing merchant.  His home  a red brick  and cypress residence.   It is one of two Frank Lloyd Wright residences in the town of Oskaloosa.  The other was the Lamberson House.  Both of these projects were supervised by an apprentice of Wright’s John deKoven Hill.  Both of these projects were built by Jim DeReus.

     The home has an l.shaped layout with open living spaces.  There are four bedrooms.  There is a nine inch concrete floor. The home was built into the side of a hill to maximize views.  It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 9, 1988.

     The Tampa Union Station is located at 601 Nebraska Avenue, Tampa, Florida.   The station was built in 1912 to accommodate the passengers of the Atlantic Coast Line, Tampa Northern Line, and the Seaboard Airline railroads. The railroads contributed $250,000 for the construction.

     The architect.was J.F. Leitner.   The style.was Italian Renaissance.   The station was originally managed by the Tampa Union Station Company.  There were originally 8 tracks; now only one is regularly used.  In 1971, Amtrak began to use the station.

     In 1991, a non for profit (Tampa Union Station Preservation and Redevelopment Inc) acquired the 1.9 acre site with the station and the baggage building.  They raised 4 million dollars to renovate the structures using the services of Rowe Architects.   In 1999, this non for profit turned over ownership to the city of Tampa.    Currently, the city of Tampa Real Estate Division manages the site.

     The station was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 5, 1974

     

  The Riverview Hotel was first located on the edge of Fort Myers.   It started as the Keystone Hotel in 1883. Later it has as known  as the Fort Myers Inn and then the Caloosa House.

     In 1895, the building was moved to the center of Fort Myers.   It was enlarged.  Its name was changed the Riverview.

     The Hendry House was originally the home of Captain Francis Asbury  and Ardeline Hendry.  It was located at First and Royal Palm.In October 1888, they sold this house to to their son Louis for $7,000.

     Louis remodeled the house converting it to a hotel.  He added 14 rooms.  There was a large open porch and balcolny.  There was Victorian gingerbread woodwork.  In 1897, Louis sold the land and hotel to Hugh O’Neill.  He razed the Hendry House Hotel and built the Royal Palm Hotel on the site.

    In 1952, this was the first permanent location of the Fort Myers Public Library on Edwards Street across the way from the Fort Myers Yacht Basin.  It was at this location until 1979.

    The next tenant at this building was the Greater Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce.  It still occupies this location.

     Another source stated property was built in 2000.  Could this actually be the date of remodeling    ?

     Building is 7,563 square. Property is 19,602 square feet.

     Hugh O’Neill was a wealthy New York merchant. He had visited the Fort Myers area multiple times in the late 1890’s. He was impressed with the potential of this area. In 1897, he bought a Hotel known as the Hendry House located at Fowler and First Street in Fort Myers. He razed the building. He used the area as a site for to build  a grand wood frame hotel with 50 rooms originally known as the Fort Myers Hotel.   The construction costs were estimated to be $70,000.  The hotel was the first building to be electrified.  The hotel opened in 1898. It was an exotically landscaped resort hotel.  The name was later changed to the Royal Palm.

     Over the years, the hotel declined in business.  In 1907, Tootie McGregor bought the Royal Palm Hotel and expanded and remodeled it.  Despite this, the fortunes or the hotel continued to decline. During the last few years of it’s existence, the hotel became a favorite spot for members of the military stationed in the area during World War 2.   The hotel, dock, swimming pool and the casino were demolished in 1948.

Featured was a promenade dock for yachts, swimming pool and a casino.

In 1907, Tootie McGregor bought the financially strapped Royal Palm Hotel. She renovated it and enlarged the building. As years went by, the hotel met on hard times. The pool, promendade dock, and the hotel buildings were demolished in 1948.

     The site of the new Oxbow Restaurant in Fort Myers has an interesting history.   It was originally known as the Fort Myers City Pier Building on the Calooosahatchee  River.   It was built in 1999 at a cost.of 1.9 million dollars.  The purpose of the structure was to establish high speed ferry service to Key West.  $20,000 was set aside for a party at the start of service.  Unfortunately, the service never happened.

     For a time, the building was used as the site of Art of Olympians Museum and Galleries.  The museum sought to showcase the connection between sports and art.  Unfortunately, the museum closed.  The building served as a sales office for condominiums for a while.

      Oxbow and its parent company Mansail Lodging and Development won the right to the building  at 1300 Hemdry Street in 2017. The Oxbow opened in March, 2021.  It is the only riverfront restaurant in downtown Fort Myers.  It is 5000 square feet.  It seats 150.  The 2400 square feet second floor is to be used for private events.