The Old Pineapple Inn

If you are looking for a unique vacation, one with history behind it, then this historic Bed and Breakfast in Eau Gallie, Florida known as The Old Pineapple Inn is just the place for you.  

This beautiful Victorian home that sits on Pineapple Avenue was once owned by William H. Gleason, former Lieutenant Governor of Florida.  He was born in New York in 1829. He was interested in banking, law and politics and was a member of the Skull and Bones Society at Yale.  In 1855 he moved to Eau Claire, Wisconsin and opened a bank, then moved into sales during the Civil War.

Gleason

The issue of slavery was an interest of Gleason, and having made a name for himself in this cause, he was appointed a special agent of the Freeman's Bureau in 1865. His mission was to scout the Florida peninsula as a possible site for a Negro colony.  The idea of colonization did not appeal to Gleason. His recommendation against a Negro colony in Florida garnered local political support in future years.

There is a lot to see in this little historic community that sits along the edge of the Indian River. The area is one my favorite places for this is where my great grandfather, William Roesch, ventured to when he left Potosi, Wisconsin.  Here he lived and became the first Mayor of this wonderful town.  Gleason and my grandfather had more than a professional connection. (More about his life story another day) 

It is important to note here that it was in 1969 that the City of Melbourne and Eau Gallie citizens voted for unification of their towns.  So there is no longer an Eau Gallie; it is all Melbourne, The Harbour City.  Here you will still find citizens that take pride in their community of Eau Gallie and will call it that until the day they die.  Still today, everywhere you look, the name is still seen on signs, buildings and churches.  The town is loved by all who know her or live there.