The Lawndale Museum was previously the home of four generations of the Williams Family.
The H.S. Williams Family relocated to Florida from Alabama in 1874 to find new prospects during the economic turmoil of the Reconstruction period following the Civil War. Although H. S. was originally from New Jersey, he had served for the Confederacy during the Civil War, keeping a detailed diary that has been published under the title “This War So Horrible”.
When they originally moved to Rockledge the family consisted of Hiram Smith (H.S.), his wife Cornelia, and son Sydney. They were the builders and first occupants of Lawndale. After taking up residency in Rockledge, daughter Myra was born at Lawndale.
H.S. was a carriage builder by trade, but his successes weren’t so prevalent in the building of conveyances, but in agriculture. His ‘Lawndale’ labeled citrus, which he grew on groves that eventually amassed to hundreds of acres around his home, helped establish central Brevard county as a center of fruit packing. His success with citrus made it fitting to name the museum Lawndale.
H.S. also spent much of his time promoting and leading the Rockledge community.
- He became the first postmaster for Rockledge from 1875-1881.
- He served as County Treasurer from 1874-1883.
- He served as a Brevard County School Trustee 1880
- He served as a State Senator for two terms beginning in 1885.
- He was a partner in the establishment of the Brevard Telephone Company in 1901 – which was the first telephone service within Brevard County.
H.S. was also a proponent of education, building as part of his home a school-room. It is one of the earliest purpose-built spaces devoted for education in the county. This schoolroom was not only used for the education of the Williams children, but also of other neighboring children in the first days of the Rockledge community.
H.S. passed away at Lawndale on November 25, 1921 at the age of 88 years old.
Margaret Cornelia Coats Williams (Cornie)- marriage to H.S. on November 7, 1870.
H.S. and Cornelia had two children, Sydney and Myra.
Cornelia passed away on September 6,1930.
Sydney Williams was born August 19, 1871 in Demopolis Alabama. At the age of 2 years old he moved with his parent to Rockledge. He graduated from East Florida Seminary which later became the University of Florida. He later attended Rollins College in Winter Park.
After the 1895 devastating freeze in Rockledge he was forced to relocate to Ft. Pierce to establish orange groves there.
On Nov 26,1920, he married Ella Gordy Perrine in Philadelphia PA. He and Ella traveled extensively in Europe and Canada before starting their family. They had two children, Harold and Margaret.
Sydney died in a tragic accident on August 4, 1930. His obituary states that he was fatally injured in the runaway of a mule which was drawing a mowing machine.
Myra Gray Williams was born on December 3, 1877 at home. She completed her studies in music and education at Rollins College in 1898. It is believed that her parents gifted her with the Hardman piano, patented March 29, 1886. The piano occupies the back parlour of the Lawndale museum dressed with the original scarf from the piano company
After graduating Myra spent time in Cuba working for a family as a governess. With her father’s health failing, Myra returned to Rockledge to tend to her father and the family business. After the death of her father, she ran the family business along with her brother Sydney. She followed her fathers footsteps by being involved in the Pomological Society (Fruit Growers).
