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Wednesday 10am - 4pm Thursday 10am - 4pm Friday 10am - 4pm Saturday 10am - 4pm

Rossetter House Museum

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Melbourne, FL
Rossetter House Museum

Brevard County Historical Home Museum, Gardens and event venue.

1320 Highland Ave. Melbourne, FL 32935

08/13/2025

Have you noticed this beautiful fireplace cover? This fireplace is in the modern-day dining room, but was apart of the second addition that William Roesch did when updating the original slave cabin he rented from John Houston. He owned the cabin after marrying Houston’s oldest daughter Ada, at which point he decided to add onto the cabin to create a home. This is the only fireplace in either section of the Rossetter House. We just love how ornate it is!

08/11/2025

On this day in 1900, Ella Rossetter was born! She was a well-known businesswoman in the area. While her sister Carrie is known for running the Standard Oil distributorship, Ella had her own insurance office which she started and ran. She is also credited with starting the first library in Eau Gallie, as she loved books and wanted to be able to share them with people. This little lending library was also run from her insurance office. She loved to garden, and today we base our gardens after many of her original plans and layouts. Ella died in in 1993 at the age of 92.

08/08/2025

Ella Rossetter was a big fan of cooking and baking, and even received an honorary culinary degree from the Florida Institute of Technology. She also collected recipes such as this one for stuffed flounder from 1958. Try it for yourself and let us know what you think!

08/06/2025

The Rossetter House as you see it today was completed in 1908, which makes it over 110 years old. The front part that you see here is actually the newer of the two original structures, built in the late 1890s. It was barged over Elbow Creek from modern Ballard Park after Mr. James Rossetter purchased only the building, excluding land, from Mr. Aspinwall who was a northern industrialist that liked to winter here in Brevard. This is why it became known as the Aspinwall wing. Rossetter had it taken apart by his ship builders and put back together on the property he purchased from Mr. William Roesch and where we can see it today. Over a hundred years of history sure leaves a lot of room for great pictures like this one! Interested in seeing it yourself? We offer tours at 10 AM, 12 PM, and 2 PM Wednesday through Saturday. Call 321 254 9855 for more information

08/04/2025

On this day Charles Rossetter was born. He was the youngest of the five Rossetter children and helped his oldest sister Carrie manage filling stations for Standard Oil. He was also the only child of Ella Rogero and James to be born in the Rossetter family home here in Eau Gallie. He lived his life here in Eau Gallie and was close to both sisters until his death in 1993.

08/02/2025

Interested in Florida literature? We have room in our book club, Ella's Literary Circle! Our next meeting is on September 27th at 10:30 virtually through Zoom. We will be discussing Swamp Story by Dave Barry. Please contact us with your name and email address as space is limited by calling 321 254 9855 or emailing [email protected] for more information!

07/31/2025

Here is the modern-day Eau Gallie River, but in the late 1800s it was known as Elbow Creek. This allowed natives and early settlers like John Houston to travel around the area. Early mail was delivered by boat using waterways such as this, as traveling around Florida by land was difficult and often dangerous. Carrie and Ella Rossetter remembered mail by boat even into their childhoods into the 1910s. The sisters also had a boat house on this section of the river.

07/29/2025

People regularly ask us how long the family lived in the Rossetter House. And the answer is, quite a long time at over 80 years! Carrie and Ella Rossetter continued to live in the house into the early 1990s, after first arriving in 1908. While they spent the rest of their lives together, it was not all in the house on Highland Ave we know and love today. They actually spent the last few years of their lives in the boathouse shown here. Carrie had broken her leg, and as a result could no longer manage the steep stairs in the Rossetter House. So, she and Ella moved into the boathouse until Ella passed away in 1993 and Carrie in 1999. It is now a private residence on the Eau Gallie River. They spent many great years here, and entertained and boated there even longer as a leisure home before moving in full time.

07/27/2025

Are you looking for something to do? Why not book a tour with us and learn about some our great local history? We have tours every Wednesday through Saturday at 10 AM, 12 PM, and 2 PM. Call 321 254 9855 to book your tour today!

07/25/2025

Our ruffle leaf elephant ear is in bloom! This large plant only blooms about once a year, with that pink hue you can see here. Come see it in our garden for yourself, no tour required!

07/23/2025

Have you noticed our phone? James Rossetter had it installed back when everyone had to use and share one line coming into the area. He had this phone connected to Cape Canaveral, where his commercial fishing ventures were based. His daughter Carrie loved it so much that she updated it for rotary use as the years went on, and continued using it herself for her own business.
Interested in seeing this for yourself? Book a tour with us to learn about this and many other items. Tours are Wednesday through Saturday at 10 AM, 12 PM, and 2 PM. Please call 321 254 9855 to book or for more information.

07/21/2025

Here we have the marvelous chocolate set currently on display in the Ladies Parlor! Ella Rogero Rossetter loved anything oriental, and had this set imported for her own use. The pattern is unique, and while there are no markings like European china may have, it is signed on the bottom. Taller cups and serving pots like this were generally used for things like hot chocolate rather than tea, as tea was served in more traditional round pots and cups. This set is beautifully colored and even more stunning in person.

Came visit to see for yourself! Call 321 254 9855 to book a tour, available Wednesday through Saturday at 10 AM, 12 PM, and 2PM

Address

Melbourne, FL

Opening Hours

Wednesday	10am - 4pm
Thursday	10am - 4pm
Friday	10am - 4pm
Saturday	10am - 4pm

Website

http://www.rossetterhousemuseum.org/

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