Belle Haven

     Historic Belle Haven Cottage sat at the end of the City Pier from the early '20s. Built originally as an icehouse, it was used as a bait shop and rental cottage before its piers, riddled with worms, deposited it into Tampa Bay in 1926. Purchased by Lyman Christy and his wife for $125, it was then barged around the point to 109 Palmetto Avenue where it served as their home for over 50 years, and a rental cottage thereafter.

     The property was purchased in 2000 by a couple wanting the land but not the home. They offered it to AMIHS for free and the drive was on to save it from demolition. After the Society and the three island cities raised more than $8.000, the cottage was moved to the Historic Park complex on November 27, 2001. People from the business community, AMIHS, Island residents, and concerned visitors generously gave money, time, and professional expertise. The cottage was lovingly restored in 2003 and now sits on the banks of the Lake LaVista canal just steps from the City Pier and its original home on Tampa Bay.

     More recently, the cottage has been the recipient of many lovely heirlooms donated by a couple who resided on the Island for over thirty-five years. While many of the items were from their personal collection, they also visited antique shops throughout Florida to furnish the home with period flair.

     In 2001, Belle Haven Cottage was added to the grounds as an extension of the museum. The cottage was built on the end of Anna Maria City Pier in 1920, but when it fell into the bay in 1926, it was moved to Palmetto Ave., where it was used as a home for many years. We have it displayed as a 1920s rental cottage.

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Comments, questions, and suggestions regarding the web page of the Anna Maria Island Historical Society are most welcome. Please direct them to William Bowdish.