The Keystone Heights Heritage Commission hosted its 2024 Holiday Tour of Historic Homes on Saturday, December 21.
Unlike previous tours, which permitted guests to view only the exteriors of the homes, this event included interior tours of the structures.
Volunteer Dana Eatmon said the Keystone Heights Women’s Club sold approximately 140 tickets for the event.
According to a brochure produced by the Heritage Commission for the event, the tour included six homes centered around Southeast Lakeview Drive, West Magnolia Avenue, and Southeast Palmetto Avenue.
Three of the homes on the tour are owned by Heritage Commission members. The Keystone Heights’s mayor owns a fourth.
Lawrance House
The Lawrence House, located at 580 South Lawrence Blvd., is a 1921 Sears and Roebuck pre-cut home built as the personal residence of John and Agnes Lawrence, the founders of Keystone Heights.
They occupied the home as they developed the town. John died in 1929 and was buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Gainesville.
In 1934, Agnes sold the home and the property to William and Clara Kincaid of Meadville, Pennsylvania.
William was a prominent businessman who had manufacturing plants in the United States and Europe. The Kincaid’s occupied the home seasonally and made several improvements to the house and property. The executor of their estate sold the home in 1952 to Al Watson, the benefactor of Santa Fe College’s Watson Center. The property changed hands four more times until it was purchased by Lonnie and Barbara Rucker in 1981. They completed a major home renovation, updating the electric, plumbing, roofing, and air-conditioning facilities while adding bathroom, laundry, and kitchen spaces. John and Janet Sloan purchased the property in 2001 and sold it to Dave and Nina Rodenroth. Nina is the current mayor of Keystone Heights and previously served on the city’s Heritage Commission.
While modernized, the home retains much of its original character. The front porch was open as designed in the original plan but was screened by the Lawrences and closed in with windows later. Mr. Lawrence also built the Keystone Inn on the adjoining property now occupied by the Nature Park. In December 1923, John and Agnes Lawrence sold their interest in the Lawrence Developing Company to Senator Frank P Miller of Meadville, Pennsylvania, who took over as president and continued to promote Keystone Heights as both a residential and resort community. John and his wife Agnes spent their summers in Hendersonville, North Carolina, and their Winters in Keystone Heights.
Bergin House
The J.M. Bergin House, at 460 Southwest Magnolia Avenue, is a 1925 example of craftsman bungalow architecture. John Milo Bergin, who went by Milo, was born in 1884 in Mayport, Pennsylvania. He lived in Meadville, Pennsylvania, where he owned a restaurant.
He married Mary D. Reisman, whose father owned a drugstore in Meadville. Mary’s father, John M. Reisman, had contracted to build the beach pavilion. Mary and Milo managed the Keystone Inn, the Blue Lantern Pavilion, and a boat rental. Other families lived in the Bergen House before Deirdre Murphy purchased it in 2005. The exterior is still true to the original architecture.
Jenny Clark Strong House
The Jenny Clark Strong House, located at 505 Southeast Palmetto Avenue, was built in 1924 and is one of two Sears Honor Built homes.
Because these homes were only used during winter, a more enclosed porch would have served the occupants better. However, these have been replaced with a large open-air design, which is much more comfortable for year-round living.
The house’s current owner, Christine Arnold, one of the original architects of the Heritage Commission, purchased the home in 2005. Since then, she has added a porch to the front of the house.
Leona Clark Caughey House
The Leona Clark Caughey House at 555 Southeast Palmetto Ave. is now the Inn at Palmetto.
This home was initially constructed as a winter home for Leona Clarke Caughey, although she never occupied the house.
Leona was an artist who worked for the Keystone View Company in Meadville, Pennsylvania. She and her husband, Ed, who owned part of the Keystone Lumber Company, lived in a house two blocks west on Lake Keystone.
After the house was completed, her sister Maude, her husband, Ward Ogden, and their two daughters, Arneita and Helen, moved into it.
Several members of the Clark family had winter homes in town, while others chose to begin living year-round in the lake community.
Kerry Collins purchased the property in 2015 to turn it into a bed-and-breakfast inn. The home was in complete disrepair, so extensive renovations were necessary. She opened the Inn at Palmetto in 2022.
Cadman House
The Cadman House at 561 Southeast Lakeview Drive was built in the architectural style of the craftsman bungalow. Phillip W. Cadman built the home in 1926. Mary Lou Hildreth, the previous mayor of Keystone Heights, and her husband, Keith Koehler, lived in the house for many years. Jamie and Lisa Kanos purchased the house in 2018 and are the current owners.
Smith House
The Smith house at 245 Southeast Lakeview Drive was built in 1926 and is in the mission style. Mr. Smith was a city councilman who died at a council meeting in 1940. He had an appliance business in town and also sold real estate. His wife, Desta, was a retired music teacher and was very involved in the music program at Community Church and Chautauqua; Mrs. Smith passed away on July 4, 1939. Lea Cofield and Troy Wong purchased the home, transformed the neglected exterior into a retreat, and updated the interior.
