The Ricou Building in Downtown Jensen Beach Our History
The Hartman Real Estate story began over 100 years ago. Rick and Peter Hartman’s great-grandfathers, R.R. Ricou and J.B. McDonald, moved to what is now Martin County in 1893 and 1912, respectively. R.R. Ricou was a commercial fisherman who located in Jensen Beach and founded one of the largest fishing fleets on the east coast of Florida before the Depression. J.B. McDonald was the first mayor of Stuart. Both men helped to shape the real estate business and local government in Jensen Beach and Stuart.
Ralph Hartman Jr., started Hartman Real Estate in 1959. At that time, Hartman Real Estate helped clients buy and sell all types of property, including residential property. Ralph Hartman, who was well-known in the community, was passionate about integrity and accountability, a legacy that continues to serve as a core value of Hartman Real Estate today.
In recent years, Hartman Real Estate has expanded its range into the region surrounding Stuart and focused its business on acreage, commercial property, and industrial property. Reed Hartman, Ricou Hartman’s youngest son, has continued the family tradition in real estate, but has expanded into yet another area of real estate, real estate auctions. Reed, a licensed auctioneer and real estate sales associate, is the owner of Hartman Auction Group, a company specializing in real estate auctions.
R.R. Ricou was a key part of Florida’s thriving commercial fishing industry in the early 1900’s, with ten fish houses from Cape Canaveral to Key West and one on Lake Okeechobee. Ricou was good friends with Henry Flagler, who is most known for building the Florida East Coast (FEC) railroad from Jacksonville down to Key West, completing it in 1912. When the fire of 1908 destroyed much of downtown Jensen Beach, the two men partnered to restore its commerce to life. Ricou told Flagler he would build a two-story building to anchor the new Main Street of Jensen Beach if Flagler would build a rail station on the historic FEC railroad. In the decades to come, Ricou was known for his continued efforts to rebuild Jensen Beach and its Community Church, as well as his policy that no Jensen Beach residents needed to pay for fish when they went to the Ricou docks.
J.B. McDonald was a former Methodist minister and the superintendent of schools when Stuart was originally part of Palm Beach County. McDonald was instrumental in the movement to incorporate Stuart in 1914, served as Stuart’s first mayor, and assisted in planning the community’s future. During his career, J.B. campaigned for African-American’s rights to buy property.
The intertwining of the McDonalds and Hartmans occurred when J.B.’s daughter, Mary Elizabeth, married Ralph Hartman Sr., Stuart’s long-time postmaster. With a passion for education, they spearheaded the private fundraising effort for a Stuart High School Band in 1938.
Ralph and Mary Hartman’s oldest son, Ralph Hartman, Jr. founded Hartman Real Estate in 1959. Ralph Hartman was very community minded. He served as a commissioner for the city of Stuart and was a longtime board member of Martin Memorial Hospital, advocating for healthcare needs in the community. He was also an active volunteer at the hospice center in Stuart and was instrumental in obtaining support and funding for their building on Indian Street, the Mays Center for Hope, where he died in 2001. The garden at the Mays Center for Hope, was constructed in his honor and is a memorial to his unflagging commitment and service.