PGHS NEWSLETTER
​
Message from the President
February - March 2026
​
Let there be light! That’s the maxim for this month as key electrical upgrades to the Punta Gorda Women’s Club have been completed. Four new chandeliers have been installed in the Woman's Club and they look fabulous! Recess lighting and a large new fan have also been put up. New outside front lighting, exhaust fans and lights in the bathrooms, ceiling mounted projector & screen, and sound system will be finished in the next couple of weeks. Many thanks to Ken Tyner Electric for their expert efforts. The Punta Gorda Garden Club, Inc. continues to spruce up the building’s Quiet Garden with their wonderful restoration efforts.
Shining a light on a brighter online future, our new PGHS website should be fully finished and live by about March 1st! We have added the capability to update or apply for PGHS membership and pay your annual dues online on the website. Within the first 24 hours of the website updates, seven members tested the payment system and easily paid for their renewals and updated their membership information online. The site also provides an opportunity to make a standalone donation to PGHS using a separate payment button. Check it out at https://www.puntagordahistory.com/.
Recently, the PGHS Board met to strategize on its next restoration and preservation efforts and is lighting the way with a dazzling “to do” list for 2026, including:
-
Replacing the cedar shake siding on the Price House - a major, costly project for labor and materials,
-
Constructing the Janine Smith Memorial Garden Cottage in support of our garden volunteers and for much needed storage for garden tools and supplies,
-
Painting some of the History Park historic cottages to preserve them from weather conditions and moisture control,
-
Buying and installing new and more durable picnic tables at History Park to accommodate visitors and patrons of the History Park Sunday Market and Artisan Village, and
-
Purchasing and mounting new draperies for the Punta Gorda Woman’s Club.
To help finance these proposed plans, PGHS will once again participate in the Giving Challenge on April 15-16. The Giving Challenge supports diverse group of nonprofits, like PGHS, in Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte and DeSoto counties. The Giving Challenge is an exciting 24-hour online fundraising for about 700 nonprofit supporting diverse causes and creating enduring impact in our local counties. Since 2012, the Giving Challenge has served as a catalyst for more than $92 million in unrestricted funding to local nonprofits.
Hosted by the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, The Patterson Foundation (TPF) will provide a 1:1 match for all unique donations ranging from $25 to $100 per donor, per organization made online with a credit or debit card during the challenge. There is no limit to the number of individual matches from unique donors a nonprofit organization can receive during the 2026 challenge. The PGHS will also participate in the Giving Challenge Pop-Up Event at the Military Heritage Museum for in-person donations on April 15, 2026.
Please mark your calendar for The Giving Challenge to keep the flame of historic preservation and restoration burning brighter for Punta Gorda in 2026! Thank you in advance for your support!
Sincerely,
Beth Magnin
President, PGHS
​