BLANCHARD HOUSE MUSEUM

By  Mike Miller November 6, 2025

Blanchard House Museum is in the 1925 Craftsman bungalow originally owned by Joseph Blanchard in Punta Gorda, Florida.

The single-story home is a prime example of Florida's vernacular Craftsman bungalow style. The museum focuses on African American history in Charlotte County and Southwest Florida.

It preserves artifacts, photos, and stories from local Black families. Exhibits cover local life, education, and civil rights.

Blanchard House Museum

The museum serves as a community center, with programs including book clubs and workshops.

Local builder Thatcher Johnson erected the Blanchard House in 1925 for Joseph Blanchard.

Joseph was a steamboat pilot and Spanish-American War veteran. His wife Minnie joined him and the family owned the house until 1997, when Bernice A. Russell bought it.

The house was moved to its current location in 2002. The new spot used to hold Gollman's Bar, a juke joint that hosted blues music for Black patrons.

The museum opened in 2004 and has been damaged by at least two hurricanes. The most recent hurricane repairs were finished in 2025.

The roof has a front-gabled form, a variant seen in roughly one-third of Craftsman houses. The main section slopes at a 6/12 pitch and uses sheet metal with 3V crimp seams.

The layout follows a rectangular footprint, elevated on 18-inch concrete piers in line with 1925 local codes.

The foundation is formed by concrete blocks, and the ceilings inside reach 9 feet in height. Wooden siding in German shiplap covers the outside. The floors have wooden tongue-and-groove planks.

The Blanchard House shares traits with the nearby residence of George Brown, a key African American figure in Punta Gorda's founding as a shipbuilder and landowner.

His property appears in the Guide to African American Landmarks in Florida.

Blanchard House Museum is at 406 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Punta Gorda 33950. It lies near the Peace River and Charlotte Harbor.

Reach it via U.S. 41 to Martin Luther King Boulevard. Visiting hours are Thursday through Saturday 10AM - 4PM.

You can park on streets nearby and walk the short path to the entrance. Book group visits ahead of time at 941-637-3837.

• The house's diamond-shaped gable vent marks Thatcher Johnson's style. 

• Gollman's Bar site once drew blues players from across the South. 

• George Brown built the first non-segregated school in Punta Gorda. 

• Half of Punta Gorda's founders owned businesses on the main street. 

• The 2025 reopening adds an exhibit on African roles in world civilizations.

BLANCHARD HOUSE MUSEUM WEBSITE

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