The Naples Cottage

The Naples Cottage at Collier Museum at Government Center

This two-story wood-frame bungalow was a common design in Southwest Florida in late 1920s and a popular style with Northern transplants. It was built in 1926 for William and Minnie Peters of Ohio using locally milled heart pine lumber. The Cottage originally stood at 3200 Tamiami Trail East, at the intersection of what is now Airport-Pulling Road. One of the people who lived here was William Lee Clarke, Jr. (1902-1955) who served as both a Collier County Commissioner and the Mayor of Naples. In its early days, the Cottage was something of a local landmark to west bound travelers on the newly completed Tamiami Trail, being the first residence to come into view after a long drive across the Everglades. Situated outside the Naples city limits, the house did not appear on the tax rolls until 1935 when the two porches were added, boosting the home’s total living area from its original 704 square feet.

Note: the population of Naples reported to the Federal Census in 1935 was merely 519 people. The Cottage is uniquely modern for its period with indoor plumbing, indoor kitchen, electricity and a screened-in porch. Upstairs are three bedrooms and one bathroom. The museum now uses this area for storage space.

The Cottage was saved from demolition and moved to the Museum in 1990 by the Friends of the Collier County Museum. The renovation took about two years to be completed. A section of the original tabby concrete foundation (a mixture of beach sand and burned oyster shell) can be seen standing to the right of the front porch. Flint and Doyle, Inc. moved the house in the early morning hours of March 7, 1990 from less than a mile away. The $180,000 restoration project was dedicated on November 14, 1992 by members of the Collier County Commission. 

Every holiday season, the cottage is adorned in mid‑century style, featuring vintage decorations throughout. This year, join us as we celebrate six years of “A Cottage Christmas” tradition.  Explore 20th‑century holiday customs that introduced new technologies and materials to Christmas celebrations, transforming the season from a simple, home‑based Victorian observance into a modern, multi‑week experience filled with shopping, events, and festive gatherings. "A Cottage Christmas Exhibit" will be on display from November 21, 2026 to January 9, 2027.