March 19, 2021 – Some new educational entertainment is available on the Sanibel Historical Village’s website, www.sanibelmuseum.org.
A Volunteer Update talk with Historical Village board members Sherry Halleran and Ginny Darby, joined by member Pete Darby, featured the story of what has been called Sanibel’s first mansion, the Algiers.
Acutally, it was a Mississippi riverboat purchased in April of 1959 and refurbished to reside on 25 acres with 1,000 feet of beachfront at what is now Gulfside City Park. The boat became a lavish, luxury resident but was only lived in for a matter of months as Lathrop Brown, the owner along with his wife Helen, died unexpectedly. Purchased by the city of Sanibel in 1979, it languished until an auction was held, after which its remains were demolished to make way for Gulfside City Park.
Learn more about this remarkable story and remarkable boat in the video of our Volunteer Update. To view the video, go to www.sanibelmuseum.org, then click on “Volunteers,” then “Volunteer Updates” (or go right to https://sanibelmuseum.org/volunteer-updates/). It is the first video listed.
Volunteer Update talks, during normal years, are casual events held in Shore Haven for volunteers and members at the $150 level and above. Attendees are encouraged to bring their lunches and listen to a variety of island icons and others recount important and interesting aspects of Sanibel history. This year, these events are being held without a live audience in compliance with CDC guidelines.
The Sanibel Historical Museum and Village is a nonprofit organization formed with the mission to preserve, share, and celebrate Sanibel’s history. The Village is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Masks and social distancing are required. Due to COVID-19, guided tours are available by reservation only in groups of no less than six and no more than 10. The Sanibel Historical Village is located at 950 Dunlop Road (next to BIG ARTS) and there is handicap access. Admission is $10 for adults (18 and over). Members and children are free. For more information, visit www.sanibelmuseum.org or call (239) 472-4648.
