Since 1892
Our Story
The John Lee and Mourning Jones House, and the town that grew up around it.
The Builder
John Lee Jones, Arcadia’s first mayor
He built this house in 1892 and had a hand in founding the town around it. He and his wife Mourning raised two sons here — Hugh and Claude, whose names are still on two of our doors.
John died in 1934. Mourning stayed on until her own death in 1965, which means one family lived in these rooms for seventy-three consecutive years. Very little of the house was changed in that time, and that is the single reason there was so much left worth saving.
The Architecture
Florida Cracker, kept honest
The house is a preserved example of Florida Cracker style — the vernacular that solved a Florida summer before anyone had air conditioning to solve it with.
Deep verandas that shade the walls, high ceilings that let heat climb away from you, heart pine cut when heart pine still meant old growth. It has stood on Oak Street for more than 130 years and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Since Then
A storied middle chapter
Before we came along in 2024, the house spent decades as home to a religious community. The Twelve Tribes lived here, raised more than 30 children, and made these rooms their own.
When we purchased the property, we found a house that had been deeply lived in, but was ready to be loved again. We set out to restore its character, repair what time had worn down, and give this old house a new purpose.
Today
A new chapter, written by a family
Now owned and lovingly restored by two Army veterans and their family, the house has become both a place to welcome others in.
We’re restoring more than a historic home. We’re creating a place for people to stay, gather, and discover a little bit of Old Florida.
After more than 130 years, the doors are open again.
