James Newcomb built this bakery around 1911. This two-story frame vernacular building took its name from the nearby Royal Poinciana Hotel, which it supplied with bread and pastries. The Newcombs came to LaBelle via the Koreshan Unity on Estero Island, where they had both grown up. Upstairs was a meeting hall where the Royal Neighbors lodge and the Brotherhood of Carpenters gathered, dances were held, and LaBelle voted. The building has barely changed in a century, which makes it one of the best surviving examples of early commercial architecture downtown.
To learn more about the Fort Myers Koreshan Community, follow the link below.
Existing buildingBelieved to be of ice cream parlor added in 1925 by the Nemith familyJames Newcomb, kneeling, second from rightJames Newcomb, second from rightCora Newcomb, James' widow, taken November 1948 at the Koreshan Park.A news article describing the new bakery.
