Part of the charm of downtown Fort Pierce is that the connection to its past is visible today. The oldest surviving structure is the P.P. Cobb building which dates back to the 1880s when the area was identified by the remains of a 2nd Seminole War U.S. military fort. The railroad tracks that run parallel and intersect the main roads of downtown reached Fort Pierce in 1894 and with them came more people causing the population in the region to expand. A majority of the historic buildings in downtown Fort Pierce date back to the 1920s, the decade that encompassed the rise and fall of the Florida land boom era. Fort Pierce’s participation in training Navy Frogmen during WWII ushered in a new era of population growth once the war ended which led to the beginning of the development in Port St. Lucie. All of these events in history have left their mark on this community. Main Street Fort Pierce works to capture the stories and significance of notable individuals and structures each year during the annual Ghosts of Fort Pierce Past Walking Tours.
Every year some of the routes and “ghosts” are rotated to offer new stories for those that have participated in the past. There are five separate tour routes with stops that feature a significant person/structure in and around Fort Pierce. Each tour takes approximately one hour.
The 2023 Ghosts of Fort Pierce Past Walking Tour route and characters* are:
Wednesday, October 25, 2023
Waterfront Tour : Check-In Location: Front of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church (by IRD).
1. St. Andrews Episcopal Church, Cora Stickney Harper and the Daughters of the American Revolution
2. 1715 Fleet & Treasure Hunting
3. Fort Pierce Hotel, Tyler Family
4. WWII Frogmen Training
5. Lt. Col. Benjamin Pierce & the Fort
6. Governor Dan McCarty & his wife Olie
7. Captain Bravo & the river steamboats
8. Peter Cobb & Cobb's Store
Edgartown Tour: Check-in: Main Street Office 122 A.E. Backus Avenue, Fort Pierce 34950
1. Dr. & Mrs. Platts (rural doctor, 1st SLC Schools Superintendent, & entrepreneur)
2. Zora Neale Hurston - Anthropologist & renowned author
3. Edgartown founding families - Mrs. Lagow & Mrs. Bell
4. Edgartown neighborhood happenings - the Comstocks
5. Mose Metzger - Local fisherman
6. Alfred Hair - Florida Highwaymen Artist
7. Annie Hogg - Built 1st trading post in area (PP Cobb building)
8. Henry Flagler & Harry Hill - Railroad tycoon and local photographer
Thursday, October 26, 2023
Peacock Arts Tour: Check-in is at First United Methodist Church (Avenue A side)
1. Daniel Knowles - Railroad engineer
2. Fort Pierce 1st Methodist Church - Sanctuary tour
3. Churches on Orange
4. Mary Ann Carroll - Only female Highwaymen Artist
5. Decades of memories - Arcade Building
6. Adams Family - Florida Supreme Court Justice & Florida Cattle Ranching
7. James Paine - Early postal carriers & historic Fort Pierce Post Office
North 2nd Street Tour: Check-in is at the P.P. Cobb Building
1. History of Fort Pierce Women's Club
2. Mr. & Mrs. Charles McCarty - frontier family
3. Ashley Gang
4. Mr. & Mrs. Flagler & the East Coast Railroad
5. Will Tucker & the Tarpon Saloon
6. William Hatcher - Florida Land Boom Era architect
7. Sheriff Dan Carlton & the downtown shootout
8. Fee Family & Fort Pierce Bank Building
South 2nd Street Tour: Check-in at Hoskins, Turco, Lloyd & Lloyd Law Firm
1. Bill Jones & the Boston House
2. Courthouse Stories
3. Edwin & Alice Binney - creator of Crayola Crayons
4. Doc Anna - Florida Pioneer Doctor
5. A.E. Backus - Florida landscape artist & humanitarian
6. Sunrise Theatre through the decades
7. Sunrise Theatre auditorium ghost light
8. Charles Miley - Long time local reporter
This is a fundraiser for Main Street Fort Pierce, Inc., a 501© not-for-profit organization. The cost per person is $12. These tours are history tours geared toward an older audience but all ages are welcome. Registration is required and can be done online at https://one.bidpal.net/ghostwalk2023 or by calling (772) 466-3880. Once registered, confirmation will be sent by email. Specific tour details or changes may be sent via text or email.
*Tours and/or characters are subject to change