Green Gables (Melbourne, Florida)
United States historic place
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Green Gables, also known as the Wells House, is a historic home at 1501 South Harbor City Boulevard in Melbourne, Florida, United States. The house fronts the Indian River and is one of a few Queen Anne style homes that still exist in Brevard County.
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Green Gables | |
Green Gables in 2014 prior to restoration | |
  Location within Florida  Location within the United States | |
 Interactive map showing the location of Green Gables | |
| Location | 1501 South Harbor City Boulevard, Melbourne, Florida |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 28°5′6″N 80°36′22″W |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| NRHP reference No. | 16000269[1] |
| Added to NRHP | May 18, 2016 |
Local businessman William T. Wells purchased the property from the Strobah family, who were early landowners in Melbourne.[2] He built the Green Gables in 1886 with his wife Nora Stanford Wells as a winter home.[3]
Green Gables is an example of Queen Anne style architecture, and it is believed to be the first home in the area with indoor plumbing and an indoor bathroom.[3] It was also one of the first homes in Melbourne to have electricity.[4] It is a two-story, six-bedroom house with an octagon-shaped porch.[5] On May 18, 2016, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.[6]
The original property was 150 acres that included the area now occupied by Wells Park and the Melbourne Public Library on East Fee Avenue and Hickory Street.[4]
Green Gables was scheduled for demolition in 2015, but a group of local historians and community volunteers are working with the owners, fourth generation family members, to save the house due to its historical significance to the area.[3] In May 2018, the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation included the house on its "11 to save list".[5] The community needed $500,000 to salvage the house as of April 2020.[7] In July 2022 Green Gables was awarded a $500,000 Special Category Grant from the Division of Historic Resources from the State of Florida. On June 12, 2023, Ownership of Green Gables was transferred to the non-profit organization of Green Gables at Historic Riverview Village.[8]
William Twining Wells
Wells was from New Jersey and New York, and owned the Wells Rustless Iron Company.[3] Wells managed a pineapple plantation on the beach.[6] He also donated 35 acres of land for a local park named Wells Park on East Hibiscus Boulevard and built the first auditorium, high school and library in Melbourne.[2] His wife Nora was the niece of Leland Stanford, founder of Stanford University.[2]
