Fort Meade in Polk County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
The W. Henry Lewis House
Photographed By Tim Fillmon, July 19, 2017
1. The W. Henry Lewis House Marker
Inscription.
The W. Henry Lewis House. . This house was built in 1901 by pioneer cattleman, financier, and philanthropist W. Henry Lewis (1860-1940). Lewis was born in Thomasville, GA, and came to Florida as a young man. He married Sallie Singletary in 1887. Six of their children lived to be adults: Asa, James, Lettie, Martha, Anna Belle, and Virginia. Lewis was a keen businessman, successful in cattle-raising, citrus, and real estate. In partnership with "Doc" Lightsey, he was a leading cattleman in Polk County, owning thousands of head of cattle and thousands of acres of land along the Kissimmee River. Lewis held interests in several Polk County banks and helped to organize and served as president of the First State Bank of Fort Meade. He was an advocate of good roads and was one of three trustees of a million-dollar road bond issue in Polk County, the first of its kind in Florida. Lewis chose Fort Meade, the center of his cattle enterprises, as home. After his death, his house was purchased by daughter Virginia and her husband Carlton Marsh. She lived here until her death in 1998. The two-story Lewis House combines elements of the Colonial Revival and Queen Anne architectural styles, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2012.
This house was built in 1901 by pioneer cattleman, financier, and philanthropist W. Henry Lewis (1860-1940). Lewis was born in Thomasville, GA, and came to Florida as a young man. He married Sallie Singletary in 1887. Six of their children lived to be adults: Asa, James, Lettie, Martha, Anna Belle, and Virginia. Lewis was a keen businessman, successful in cattle-raising, citrus, and real estate. In partnership with "Doc" Lightsey, he was a leading cattleman in Polk County, owning thousands of head of cattle and thousands of acres of land along the Kissimmee River. Lewis held interests in several Polk County banks and helped to organize and served as president of the First State Bank of Fort Meade. He was an advocate of good roads and was one of three trustees of a million-dollar road bond issue in Polk County, the first of its kind in Florida. Lewis chose Fort Meade, the center of his cattle enterprises, as home. After his death, his house was purchased by daughter Virginia and her husband Carlton Marsh. She lived here until her death in 1998. The two-story Lewis House combines elements of the Colonial Revival and Queen Anne architectural styles, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2012.
Erected 2013 by The Children and Grandchildren of Virginia Lewis Marsh, the Historical
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Society of Fort Meade, and the Florida Department of State. (Marker Number F-780.)
Location. 27° 45.43′ N, 81° 47.836′ W. Marker is in Fort Meade, Florida, in Polk County. Marker is on North Oak Avenue, 0.1 miles north of 4th Street Northeast, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 424 North Oak Avenue, Fort Meade FL 33841, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on December 2, 2017. It was originally submitted on November 30, 2017, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. This page has been viewed 569 times since then and 29 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on November 30, 2017, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
