Eau Gallie (pronounced "Oh Galley")[1]was a city in Brevard County, Florida from 1857 until 1969 when citizens voted to merge with neighboring Melbourne, Florida. It is now a small district in the north part of the city, near the Eau Gallie Causeway. William Henry Gleason founded the city. From 1874 to 1878 it served as the county seat of Brevard County, Florida. In French, Eau Gallie means "rocky water," named for the coquina rocks along the shore of the Indian River Lagoon. There is an arts district, and a civic center.
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A farmers market is open once a week along with a variety of shops and restaurants including a family owned Ace Hardware, a bakery, and an art supply store.[2]
In 2003, Eau Gallie won a national American Planning Award for its downtown redevelopment. A new sidewalk winds 8,100 feet down Pineapple Avenue; people sit outside in the evening, walk or ride bikes. Streets in the area were paved, and lighting was improved. An art gallery was established. Crime has decreased and dilapidated buildings were torn down.
Eau Gallie contains a historic area with several notable museums and houses. These include: the Advent Christian Church, Foosaner Art Museum, the Ginter Building, the Historic Rossetter House Museum, the James Wadsworth Rossetter House on the National Register of Historic Places, the Karrick Building, the Roesch House, and the Winchester Symphony House.
An area of 14.31 acres (5.79 ha), containing 31 houses, is petitioning for official recognition as a Historic District. The first permanent settler, John Carroll Houston, arrived in 1859.[3]