Historic home to be torn down for Governor's Mansion security in good shape, records show
According to inspection reports, the structure as of a few years ago suffered only from “benign neglect” and had “minor” wood rot.
James Call
A six-room Victorian-era themed inn had been proposed as recently as 2021 for a historic downtown Tallahassee home slated to be torn down by the state, which wants to expand the security perimeter of Florida's governor's mansion.
State officials point to a consultant's report that said the 127-year-old house was "not recommended for physical restoration or preservation" to support the need for demolition.
But according to reports released from the city of Tallahassee after a public records request, the structure as of a three years ago suffered only from “benign neglect” and had “minor” wood rot.
The planned razing of the house, which is now owned by the state, comes as the city and Leon County celebrate their bicentennial this year, including building a replica of the first state Capitol, a log cabin.
Under Gov. Ron DeSantis, the boundaries of the mansion's security perimeter have steadily pushed east, toward the old house, which sits on North Monroe Street. It's known to many longtime residents as the E.L. White boarding house, and later as The Gladstone, also a rooming house.
After COVID demonstrations in 2020, which included a protester who reportedly cemented his hands in a barrel while the First Family played at a swing set, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement conducted a vulnerability study and recommended a bigger security perimeter.
Currently, a pocket park once open to the public that's in front of the mansion, featuring a Sandy Proctor sculpture of children walking on a log with a dog, is behind barricades. The sculpture was dedicated under then-Gov. Lawton Chiles.
Previous coverage:Old Tallahassee mansion set to be demolished for Gov. DeSantis security perimeter
Boutique inn once planned for historic mansion to be demolished
Records released by the city of Tallahassee show a proposal to restore the house and open a boutique inn. An inspection report was submitted to the city in 2021 for "Project 716 N. Monroe Street" by a Tallahassee management firm, Welcome Here LLC.
The report said The Gladstone’s roof was in good condition, its pillars in excellent condition, and that the structure qualified for the City’s Historic Preservation Grant and Low Interest Program. The plan would have converted the 13-room boarding house into an upscale inn with Victorian-era style fixtures, colors and interior design.
The proposal said “Nob Hill in San Francisco is inspiration for this project,” referring to one of that city's most upscale and historic neighborhoods. Ken Wammack was listed as the owner of Welcome Here; efforts to reach him were unsuccessful.
The same inspection also said the roof was replaced in 2006 and in good condition. Some door trim and doorknobs were in “original condition.” Light fixtures appeared to date to the home’s “first electrical upgrade.” The kitchen was up to “1949 standards, at best,” and the bathrooms had original cast iron tubs with exposed brass plumbing.
The home’s floors were an issue, however. The front porch floor needed replacing. Inside, the downstairs floor was uneven and had several soft spots, the report said.
Welcome Here proposed rewiring the house’s electrical system, installing a central air conditioning system, repainting the interior in period correct colors, and replacing fixtures.
Its business plan predicted, as a six-room inn with a minimum stay of two nights, The Gladstone would generate about $14,400 in revenue per month. At the same time, it was exploring whether the project would qualify for grants and tax exemptions, records show.
The Gladstone is in a prime location in central Tallahassee, east of the governor’s mansion at First Avenue and Monroe Street, near the “Y” where Thomasville Road branches off to the northeast. It was built in 1897, roughly 400 feet from The Grove, the home of former territorial Gov. Richard Keith Call and former Gov. LeRoy Collins.
James Call is a member of the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida Capital Bureau. He can be reached at jcall@tallahassee.com and is on X as @CallTallahassee.
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