Tuesday morning I headed out and drove north to Punta Gorda. I found Englewood Beach which was nice but crowded. After a couple hours I drove back south to Punta Gorda for lunch at historic Fisherman's Village.
Fisherman's Village stands on the site of the Maud Street City Docks which were built in 1926-1928 to replace the old King Street Pier. The King Street Pier was home to the fish packing houses and plants that were integral to the fishing industry. There were as many as seven plants operating on the docks, but by the 1930's only 2 remained. Each of the fishing companies had a small fleet of "run boats" that made periodic trips down the Charlotte Harbor fishing, carrying ice and supplies, and fishermen returning to their fish camps. These camps consisted of stilt houses, some of which still stand and are on the Historic National Registry.
In 1939 a fire destroyed the last 2 plants and the dock and pier fell into disarray. In 1980 Fisherman's Village was constructed as an integral part of the historic community with a waterfront mall consisting of boutiques, fine dining, fshing charters, harbor dinner cruises, boat and kayak rentals, and villa vacation rentals.
