I am Lynn Jones and I first want to say, “Thank You” for the valuable work PEARLS is doing for Apalachicola by raising awareness to the urgent need to save the rich history Apalachicola stored within the walls of these wonderful historic homes!
My husband and I have spent nearly every weekend for the last two years restoring our shotgun home located at 116 11th Street. I do not know much of its history and I didn’t actually know it was a shotgun house at first, but through the renovation process, this old home is revealing its story to me bit by bit!!
We purchased the home from Mrs. Barbara Bloodworth in 2016. Her family had purchased it from Mr. Isiah Abrams in 1976 for $1,500. Historical records show the house was built in 1910. The tax records show the structure to have been built in 1935, but I believe that may have been when two bedrooms and a bathroom were added (from the charred lumber of another burned down home, it would appear!). We’ve torn out the sheetrock and worn carpet to reveal the tongue and groove wall boards and pine floors. Some of the wood was not salvageable due to pine beetle and termite damage, but it is our desire to salvage as much of the original materials to put back into the house once all is made structurally sound again. Since we are doing most of the work ourselves, this has been a slow process but a labor of love.
