Originally built about 1897 the house has seen days of grandeur and poverty. It originally had just the main part of the building. The porch, currently outfitted with wicker rockers and cast iron tables & chairs formerly had fishing nets hanging from the rafters for repair and drying. The wood floors are all heart pine and show the years of wax, polish, and luster.
The kitchen area was added as a separate building some years later, and sometime prior to 1936, it was joined to the house proper.
This historic inn was built by Billy Bryant, a black builder of houses and boats, who used the building as a rental unit. Constructed of heart pine walls, ceilings, and floors, it has four fireplaces with their original wooden mantels.
The renovated home is decorated with period antiques.
Restoration to its present condition began in 1996. It included the addition of all plumbing, rewiring, addition of the Florida room and the north side porch. Central air conditioning was added, along with a water filter and softener.
The kitchen has an oak herringbone floor, hand crafted hardwood cabinets, and a corner pantry.
The Florida room is set off with antique stained glass sidelights around each window, given an abundance of light touched with prismatic colors.
The garden focuses on the magnolia tree in the back yard, estimated to be over 150
years old, complete with an old rope swing. The ornate white fence highlights the myriad
of roses, gardenia, philadendra, palms, impatience, clematis, rose 'o sharon, hibiscus,
aloe, ferns, chamelia, and many other varieties of flowers and bushes. The highlight is
a fountain under an arbor with a statues , bird of paradise plant, a pond with (can you find'em all?) coi.
The middle of the garden has a patio of antique brick where you can sit, enjoy a drink and just take in the sights. The chaise swing beckons.
The front is decorated with varieties of azalea, heather, roses, pineapple, citronella,
Washington palm, angel's trumpet, holly, kumquat and butterfly bush, which attract a myriad
of butterflies and pairs of hummingbirds. There is a babbling fountain and bird bath.
The local residents can tell stories of several hauntings. Visitors of families who lived
in the house over the years tell of mysterious happenings, and of a Tasmanian Devil type
figure that haunted one family. This figure moved with the family and has not been seen since.
Local children tell of mysterious lights in the house during the time it was unoccupied.
Since our occupancy, we have not experienced any mysterious events......yet! But who knows???