Tarpon Springs in Pinellas County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
Hennig House
29 Central Court
Photographed by Quinton Spiaggi, February 22, 2025
1. Hennig House Marker
Inscription.
Hennig House. 29 Central Court. This two-story wood frame vernacular house (c.1913), with a wide screened verandah overlooking Spring Bayou, was bought by Major Jay and Helen Hennig in 1920 when they moved to Tarpon Springs. They subsequently purchased the weekly newspaper, The Leader, the following year. Jay was a newspaper man from New York and served in the Spanish-American War as a Sergeant in the New York Infantry in Cuba and as Captain of the 320th Machine Gun Battalion in France during world war one. After the war, he was promoted to Major and organized the first machine gun company for the Florida National Guard. Helen became the editor and publisher of The Leader when Jay died in 1940 and remained in that position for over 20 years. The Leader was Tarpon's source of information about the ongoing war and the community, and Helen gave free subscriptions to all the Tarpon servicemen overseas. She also wrote children's books. Charles Rawlings, author, and ex-husband of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, visited often at the Hennig home in the 1930s and wrote short stories about Tarpon Springs sponging. The Hennig's daughter, Alison Moore, and now her family, maintain this home in its original vernacular style.
This two-story wood frame vernacular house (c.1913), with a wide screened verandah overlooking Spring Bayou, was bought by Major Jay and Helen Hennig in 1920 when they moved to Tarpon Springs. They subsequently purchased the weekly newspaper, The Leader, the following year. Jay was a newspaper man from New York and served in the Spanish-American War as a Sergeant in the New York Infantry in Cuba and as Captain of the 320th Machine Gun Battalion in France during WWI. After the war, he was promoted to Major and organized the first machine gun company for the Florida National Guard. Helen became the editor and publisher of The Leader when Jay died in 1940 and remained in that position for over 20 years. The Leader was Tarpon's source of information about the ongoing war and the community, and Helen gave free subscriptions to all the Tarpon servicemen overseas. She also wrote children's books. Charles Rawlings, author, and ex-husband of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, visited often at the Hennig home in the 1930s and wrote short stories about Tarpon Springs sponging. The Hennig's daughter, Alison Moore, and now her family, maintain
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this home in its original vernacular style.
Erected 2023 by City of Tarpon Springs, Tarpon Springs Area Historical Society.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Communications. A significant historical year for this entry is 1913.
Location. 28° 8.911′ N, 82° 45.752′ W. Marker is in Tarpon Springs, Florida, in Pinellas County. It is on Central Court, on the left when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 29 Central Court, Tarpon Springs FL 34689, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is on Florida’s Gulf Coast and on Tampa Bay. It is also in the American South and on the Gulf Coast. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker:
Photographed by Quinton Spiaggi, February 22, 2025
Credits. This page was last revised on March 24, 2025. It was originally submitted on March 11, 2025, by Quinton Spiaggi of Palm Harbor, Florida. This page has been viewed 149 times since then and 36 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on March 11, 2025, by Quinton Spiaggi of Palm Harbor, Florida. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
