Filed Under Architecture

Carter House

The home of retired army general and Titusville mayor Ellerbe W. Carter was built around 1915 It typifies the “Cracker” vernacular style of bungalow of which few examples remain. The house featured open porches extending the length of the east and west sides, covered by a wide overhang, allowing for ventilation by even the smallest breeze. Oak trees and orange groves, bougainvillea and poinsettia surrounded the house. Carter established the first Republican Club in Titusville here, and his wife opened one of the rooms in the house as a lending library. In the 1950’s, the Carters hired a dance teacher to provide lessons to local children in the living room of their home, thus making it Titusville’s first dance school. In later years, the house hosted many parties, reunions, and weddings. The Carter house was a well-known gathering place. Yet unoccupied for many years after the Carters’ deaths, the house has recently been renovated to become the Titusville branch of the Boys & Girls Club of Central Florida, making it once again a center of community life.

Images

The Carter house under renovation
The Carter house under renovation Source: Photo: Coherit Associates
The Carter House in the 1950s
The Carter House in the 1950s Source: North Brevard Historical Society and Museum
General Ellerbe Carter, his wife Patricia, and their children at the Grannis Ave. home in the 1950s.
General Ellerbe Carter, his wife Patricia, and their children at the Grannis Ave. home in the 1950s. Source: North Brevard Historical Society and Museum

Location

126 Grannis Ave., Titusville, FL 32780

Metadata

“Carter House,” Explore Historic Titusville FL, accessed March 28, 2024, https://history.titusville.com/items/show/64.