Mystery Photos

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 Historical Photo for November-December 2004

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"I remember the Black Cat Cleaners in your Mystery  Photo,” Chuck Reeves told us. “That’s Marion Patterson, now Marion Jackson standing on the corner in front of the cleaners, she is still living in Cocoa or Rockledge. That business was sold and expanded as time went by, for many of a local business men who were successful with it.

A little more information about the November/December photo. The Black Cat was located on Oleander St., where The Village Gingerbred House is now.

Historical Photo for September-October 2004

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There were calls about this photo from people who remembered seeing this restaurant but couldn’t remember exactly where is was located. The person who did know what restaurant is was and where it was located was Peggy from The Village Gourmet. The name of the restaurant was Marvel (the name was blacked out last issue to make it a little more difficult) and it was located near the old Cocoa High School. This picture was taken in 1947. I don’t have a time frame as to when this Mystery Photo was taken. This also was a popular spot with locals. Think you know the answer? Call us at 321-633-4990 with your answer. You can also fax your answer to 633-4997 or email us at cvnews@cocoavillage.us

Historical Photo for July-August 2004

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There were a lot of calls about the Mystery Photo as to where this gas station was located. Some thought it was the building that Village Outfitters is in now; others thought perhaps it was closer to the beach. As it turns out, the gas station was at 502 Brevard Ave., on the corner of Brevard Ave, and Church St. At one time it was the Weinberg Service Station and later Frank Shumakers’. It is now a dentist office. Thank you to Charlie Provost and the Florida Historical Society for this information.

Historical Photo for May-June 2004
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A lot of people knew that this Mystery Photo was of the area Café Margaux is now located in,but we got the most complete answer by email from Kay Kershaw DiStefano her sister, Colette Kershaw Meier their mother, Ruth Kershaw. This to say about the Mystery Photo:

“The photo is of the arcade on Brevard Avenue, across the street from The Black Tulip and Jon’s Fine Jewelry. We believe the photo was taken in the early 1920’s, as evidenced by the vintage of the automobiles parked in front. Our grandfather, Percy L. Kershaw and our father, Lester R. Kershaw, opened their insurance and real estate office in 1924, and we think their first office was located on the south side of the arcade, toward the back. Our mother, Ruth Kershaw, also worked in the agency from 1938 on. They moved the office to the front corner in the 1940’s. Patrician Beauty Salon was next door to Kershaw Insurance, facing Brevard Avenue.” “During the 1950’s and 60’s, Dr.Jordan Akridge’s dental practice was located upstairs in the northeast (back) corner. Ruth Kershaw recalls that the Snow and Campbell law firm occupied the front corner, upstairs on the north side. The Brevard County Home Extension Agency was located upstairs, in the back of the arcade. Upstairs, on the south side, was the law office of Edward Jackson. The front corner of the south side was occupied by the law firm of Butt and Akridge, above the office of Kershaw Insurance,” recalls Ruth. Some of these firms may date further back, but Kay and Colette have no memory or knowledge of it.

Historical Photo for March-April 2004 
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The first person to contact us about the March/April Mystery Photo was Andy Wheeler. He believes the photo was taken looking east on King. He remembers eating there in the 1960’s and thinks it was owned by some one who was at one time on Rockledge City Council. (Does any one remember who that was?)

Via email A.G. “Tony” Martin said, “The photo is of Chastain’s restaurant located on the corner of Brevard Ave. and King St. (520 East). It still stands and is due south of the Sun Bank driveup tellers and parking lot and across Brevard Ave. from the Black Tulip Restaurant. As a child, my family ate there Mystery Photo often in the early 1960s. It was a popular place during the beginning of the Space boom when the Mercury program was in full swing. The building then became the Cocoa office of Merrill, Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, who where stockbrokers. Charlie Provost owned the building for many years, and may still today. Travis Hardware is at the end of the photo, east of the restaurant, across from the parking lot for Chastain’s.”

Also via email, Kay Kershaw DiStefano told us, “The March/April Mystery Photo is of Chastain’ s Restaurant on the southeast corner of Brevard Ave and King St. (520). This popular Cocoa restaurant of the 50’s and 60’s has two sections. The section facing Brevard Ave. had a counter and booths, and served mostly soup, sandwiches and short orders, and was open for breakfast and lunch, as I recall. The section facing King St. had a dining room and cocktail lounge, and was a wonderful place to go for dinner in the evening. My parents’ office, Kershaw Insurance Agency, was only two or three doors away in the arcade on Brevard Ave., and my father, Lester Kershaw, frequently enjoyed mid-morning coffee with his friend, Tom Wright, at a booth in Chastain’s. I don’t know when Chastain’s closed, but the building has been remodeled, and has a tan-colored stucco facade. It is now an office building.”

Historical Photo for January-February 2004
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Thank you to Chuck Reed who was the first to call about the January/ February photo. Mr. Reed says that the photo is of the old city hall and was dedicated in 1934. His father took him out of school that day to attend the dedication because he felt it was such an important event. The building was designed by local architect Richard Rummell. The entire administration for the city was located on the first floor of the building and on the second floor were meeting rooms the city used and were also available for civic groups to use. The building was on the south west corner of Delannoy Ave and King St. Back in those days King St. deadended at the river and a railroad spur ran along it to the river.

In the bottom right of the picture, next to the sidewalk is a small sphinx. When the city hall was torn down in the 1960’s, Gertrude Hooper and friends rescued the sphinx. It was in several locations over the years and now resides in the garden of the Central Brevard Library Garden. Mr. Trafford also called about the photo. He told us that the funding for the building came from Presidents Roosevelt’s WPA Project. (A project to help give people jobs.) He added that the Chamber of Commerce was located in the building. Also, Mr. Trafford’s wife, Margo, worked at City Hall during WW II.

Via email, Charles Lee said, “The Mystery Photo is of old Cocoa City Hall Building across from the Travis Hardware on 520 and Delannoy, I believe. The 520 side had a beautiful hardwood floor that was a covered porch with benches, at the West end of the building was a wooden stairway to second floor, under the stairway was
public restrooms. The building (mystery photo) I believe was torn down in the early to mid 60s.”

Also via email, Ruth Kershaw and daughters, Kay DiStefano and Colette Meier said, “The Mystery Photo for January-February 2004 is the Cocoa Municipal Building (City Hall) on the corner of King St. and Delannoy Ave. (it faces King St.) Kay Kershaw DiStefano remembers when her Girl Scout troop put on a play (Little Women) on the stage there in approximately 1953. The building behind it (facing Delanoy) was Famous Department Store, operated
by Max and Pearl Solvick, says Ruth Kershaw. It was one of the first dry goods and clothing stores in Cocoa during that era.”

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