Florida Historical Markers Programs - Marker Detail

Description: On October 31, 1916, citrus grower and inventor Edward Postell Porcher and wife, Byrnina Peck Porcher, moved into what was the grandest house in Cocoa. The house is a unique example of Neo-Classical Revival Style architecture interpreted in coquina rock. It featured ten bedrooms, four and a half bathrooms, a partial basement, and an attic. Mrs. Porcher’s love of card games can be seen in the house’s design as the facade incorporated club-, diamond-, heart-, and spade-shaped stones. Lost elements included a porte-cochere on the north side, swimming pool, and large packinghouse on the river bank behind the house that processed produce boated from the family's groves on Merritt Island. The Porcher family lived in the house until Edward’s death in June 1939. The estate passed to his son Arthur, who died the next month. The house was sold and used as a hotel for a brief period. In 1945, the City of Cocoa purchased the house and it became city hall. The house was restored with funds from city and state historic preservation grants. It was used as event space and office space for local businesses following the restoration. The Porcher House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.