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The Lassiter House was constructed on this site in 1885 by
Wilburn Lassiter and his second wife, Fanny. The Southeast
Historic District was the earliest "suburb" of Gainesville,
lying just outside the town limits which, at the time, stopped
at the Sweetwater Branch. This house and the neighboring Baird
mansion were built on five acre parcels which dominated the
block.
Wilburn Lassiter was
born in 1815 in Troy, North Carolina. Success in an early
land lottery brought him to Gainesville, Florida to seek his
fortune. The family would spend the summer in Gainesville,
Georgia and enjoy the North Georgia mountains. They would
then return to Gainesville, Florida in the colder months. He
passed away in 1888 and is buried in Gainesville’s Evergreen
Cemetery south of town with his second wife, Fanny.
The
Lassiter family sold the house to William Reuben Thomas in 1920.
He converted it into two apartments, one on each floor,
and made substantial modifications. The house was electrified
(it was already plumbed for coal gas lighting fixtures),
the stair railing and baluster were removed to create a
hallway from the porch to the second floor apartment and
primitive plumbing was installed. This change made it impossible
to travel from the first floor to the second without going
outside the house. The kitchen was eliminated in favor of
creating an additional bedroom.
The
Lassiter family sold the house to William Reuben Thomas in 1920.
He converted it into two apartments, one on each floor,
and made substantial modifications. The house was electrified
(it was already plumbed for coal gas lighting fixtures),
the stair railing and baluster were removed to create a
hallway from the porch to the second floor apartment and
primitive plumbing was installed. This change made it impossible
to travel from the first floor to the second without going
outside the house. The kitchen was eliminated in favor of
creating an additional bedroom.
The
most dramatic exterior modification was the addition of
a Craftsman style two-story sleeping porch on the southwest
corner of the house. This new feature changed the massing
of the house and hid the elaborate three-sided bay and the
unique mansard on the third floor.
In
1938, the house was again divided, this time into four apartments.
Four small (very!) kitchens and baths were added and the
property began its life as a four unit apartment building.
Its
condition began to deteriorate through the fifties and sixties.
This area was known as "Hippie Hill" and Gainesville
was known as the "Berkely of the Southeast". Rumor
has it that a certain Tom Petty was a tenant in the late sixties
when his formative band, Mudcrutch, was the local rage. The
house was actually condemned in 1979, but somehow survived
until the early nineties when it was purchased by Butch and
Joyce Redstone. The Redstones planned to convert the property
into a Bed and Breakfast Inn and did major renovations which
stabilized the condition of the house.
Monta
and Peggy Burt bought the house in April of 1999 and began a
two year odyssey to restore it to its former floor plan and
ambience. The Laurel Oak Inn opened in November of 2001. We
invite you to share our joy when you stay with us.
Our
goal is to provide the ambiance of a grand Victorian home
replete with modern conveniences, quality products, great
food and exceptional service. We strive to maintain that
relaxed, home-like atmosphere (we live up on the third floor!).
Whether you need assistance with selecting a restaurant,
booking a horse-drawn carriage or finding the best route
to your favorite event, we're here to make your experience
pleasurable.
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