The McLeod House

The McLeod House. . , Built around 1915, this house is most remembered for the McLeod family who lived here from 1941 to 1998. Oscar Penn McLeod was born to a pioneer family near Perry, Florida. He was awarded a teaching certificate in 1918 and married Mayo Artie Reams at the Greenville Baptist Pastorium, Greenville, Florida, on September 8, 1918. He furthered his education through a correspondence course in “higher accounting”, leading to a CPA degree. After the move to Inverness in 1927, he worked as a bookkeeper for many local businesses and with “Work Projects Administration” (WPA), as superintendent/supervisor/timekeeper for Citrus County School construction projects. In the 1940’s he was appointed as an auditor for the State of Florida Attorney General’s Office. His work there resulted in his being hired by John Ringling North of Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus of Sarasota where he worked until his death. He served as a school trustee in Citrus County while raising 12 children here – 10 boys and 2 girls. For 28 years there was a McLeod boy on the Citrus High School football team – Coach Walt Connors described them as born athletes! Many Citrus County children fondly remember going to the McLeod house – with 12 children, there was always somebody in the yard to play with. O. P. McLeod died in 1947 and Mayo McLeod died in 1982. The property was purchased by Richard and Sandra Dixon in 1999 and transformed into a boutique and tea room, retaining the name “The McLeod House”. Photos of all 12 McLeod children in the foyer of the house still remain. At the time of the plaque dedication the building was occupied by Keith Chancas, as a French restaurant “Chateau Chan Sezz”.