Braden Castle is unique. Originally a sugar plantation developed back in the 1840s—and said to be the largest in the country—it was built by the Braden brothers using slave labor. In the 1920s it became a camp for tourists, who gradually abandoned their tents for cottages, many of which are still there. 

Like this week’s home, a charming little cottage built in 1925. And it is little—just 484 square feet on a 1,786-square-foot lot. It’s got a screened front porch and the original wood flooring. There is only one bedroom, plus a little den or office. Some updating was done in 2018 and the place seems to be in great shape. There’s also a little one-car garage. 

Today’s Braden Castle is a snowbird haven with an incredible location—right where the Manatee and Braden Rivers meet. There’s a long fishing pier, a little marina, some quaint old clubhouse-type structures, and an attached trailer park. It’s a real throw back to an Old Florida that doesn’t exist anymore. The Castle itself is still there, or rather, the ruins of the Castle, slowly disintegrating behind a chain link fence. People do live there year-round, and I would be sorely tempted myself—but they don’t allow pets. 

54 Braden Castle Drive is priced at $124,900. For more info call Cindy Greco of Wagner Realty at (941) 812-3509.