Charles Hall's Connection to Daytona Beach

Charles Hall's house in Daytona Beach, FL

The last page of the album gives a clue as to why many of the photographs were taken by the R. H. LeSesne photography studio located in Daytona Beach, FL. On the last page, below a photograph of a carved chest, are two addresses - both in Florida. On a recent trip to visit my daughter and family (see proud grandpa picture on first page) I had a chance to investigate the Charles Hall—Daytona Beach connection. The first address is 437 South Seagrave St. South Seagrave St. runs north and south, parallel to the beach, about 2 streets west of the Intercostal Waterway. As seen in the picture of the last page in the album, the South Seagrage St. address is crossed out with pencil and another was written in.

This second address, being in pencil and written in more of a scrawl included the name Eldorado St. but was difficult to decipher—till I went to the Halifax Historical Society Museum in Daytona Beach. There, in a 1935 City Directory, I found the answer—it said, "Charles S. Hall, designer, Daytona Beach Millwork Co., 615 Volusia Ave." Eldorado St. is around the corner from South Seagrave and 2 streets away from what was called Volusai Ave. in 1935 (now called International Speedway Blvd for the other reason Daytona is famous). So—we know that Charles Hall was in East Aurora in 1929 and 1930 and in Daytona Beach in 1935 working as a designer for the Daytona Beach Millwork Co. The R. H. LeSesne studio was also only a few blocks from the South Seagrave Street address so it was a likely choice to select for taking the photos..

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