Vacation Home Rental in Palm Harbor
Staying in a slice of history
One of the oldest standing buildings in Downtown Palm Harbor was built in 1921 its located on 1026 Florida Ave.
This home was Built in 1925
Location Background
This original property address was:
Town of Sutherland Block 136 Lot 3
Built in 1925
It was called the “Grove House” as it was set in the middle of orange and grapefruit groves.
City Background
Palm Harbor
1864 marks the first year of historical activity in this area which was previously known as “Sutherland” and was considered part of Hillsborough County. There are rumours that some of this area was settled by the Duke of Sutherland who came here from England. In 1878, J.C. Craver established the first post office and later this area became known for its fruit (orange & grapefruit) groves & for The Old San Marino Hotel opening in 1893. The hotel later became Southern College which reputedly was the southernmost college in the United States at that time. Opening 1902 it operated successfully for many years until it was burned down by a fire on January 29th 1921. It was then moved to Lakeland where it was named Florida Southern College and is still educating students today. For reasons unknown Sutherland lost its name in 1925 and was switched to the name we all know today Palm Harbor.
What is Still Original from 1925?
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The fireplace (brick interior and exterior)
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All of the exterior (minus the porches & new roof)
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The 2 pillars and bookshelves in the living room
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23 out of 28 windows are original and have been restored working on a rope/weight pully system.
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The back closet shows the original cedarwood the house was built with.
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Interior & exterior framework of the house was all constructed with 100% cedarwood. Side note: Back in the late 1800’s, early 1900’s some homes were built with cedar because it’s a very durable long lasting type of wood that is naturally toxic to insects, resistant to rot/moisture and resilient in extreme temperatures. It gives off aromatic oils which you can still enjoy today (go smell the back bedroom closet). Homes nowadays are rarely made with cedar framework because the material is very costly.
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The 3 doors/hinges in the back room are all original with the exception of the new doorknobs.
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Live Oak tree in the front and back yard of the house estimated to be anywhere from 100 to 150 years old.
