J.A. Lamb House

Built in 1899 for Julius A. Lamb, the eldest of sixteen children of Samuel Sparks Lamb, founder of Palmetto, the J.A. Lamb House remained the Lamb family home until 1919. Julius Lamb operated a livery stable, sold feed, and traded in horses. The house was later acquired by J. Pope Harlee, Sr., mayor of Palmetto from 1928 to 1929, and the Harlee family, prominent Manatee County pioneers, remained there until 1991. Extensively restored in 1996, this well-proportioned Queen Anne Victorian residence has three floors built chiefly of heart pine, with octagonal turret towers, beveled column porches, leaded glass windows, a central hall plan, twenty major rooms, four fireplaces, and highly detailed woodwork including deep stepped baseboards and casing. Tidewater red cypress was used for the solid doors, and heart pine for the flooring, typical of the era. A newly constructed building northwest of the house reflects the design of the residence and a late nineteenth century carriage barn, and the renovation emphasized historic details while making changes to ensure preservation of the residence.

Palmetto, Florida · United States