Victorian Architecture in Central Florida
In a picturesque town outside of Orlando called Leesburg, is an exquisite Queen Anne Victorian known as the Mote-Morris House. It was built in 1892 by Edward H. Mote, Leesburg’s Mayor for the cost of $9,000. The architectural focal point of the Mote-Morris house is the four-story turret with long windows that look out over the town.
The house was was sold by the Mote family in 1908 to Bishop Henry Clay Morrison, before being bought again by the Morris family in 1918, where they lived for the next 70 years.
In August of 1988 the Morrison United Methodist Church purchased the house and offered it to whomever would move it. Four hundred people watched as the 150 ton-house was moved from Main Street to Magnolia Street after the residents rallied together and raised $95,000 for a new site. A happy ending for this beautiful home that was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 27, 1974.
If you call (1-352-728-9885) you can inquire about tours and times.
The Mote-Morris house boggles my mind . It seems to have everything . What a job it must have been yo move it…it’s huge and just gorgeous. I wonder how many people lived there…ate breakfast on one of top porches , then tea down below and supper as a family altogether…love it…thank you.
It’s a beautiful place! 🙂
I work on Main Street in Leesburg and love being able to enjoy the beautiful old architecture of the town. I’m so glad to see you honor it with your blog!
Awe! Thank you, so much! I really enjoyed being there, it’s a beautiful place to live. I appreciate you letting me know. 🙂
The Mote-Morris House was badly damaged by fire in February 2018. The good news is that the house has been restored to its original splendor and looks as good as new.
It’s so beautiful! I was there the other day and really enjoyed the area. The House in Amazing. I’m so glad it was restored after the fire. Thank you so much for this information. 🙂