The MOTE Residence at Leesburg

 

The Mote Residence of Leesburg

Photo above is courtesy Leesburg Chamber of Commerce

(aka Mote – Morris House)

 

 A 19th century architectural masterpiece, the 1892 residence of Edwin & Lucretia Mote was moved from its original Leesburg location in 1988 as part of a church expansion. The unique home, with a four-story lookout-tower - likely allowing for a sweeping view of Lakes Griffin and Lake Harris when first built, rightfully became, in 1974, a member of an exclusive National Registry of Historical Places.

Leesburg’s Chamber of Commerce (photo above as the house is currently being renovated) says simply that the home was built for an “eight-term Leesburg Mayor.” A brief biography of Edwin H. Mote however falls short of explaining the extent of this man’s achievements – accomplishments made in less than a decade after first arriving in 1880s central Florida.

Photo by this author (2020) when home being renovated

At times referred to as Edward, Leesburg’s Edwin Henry Mote came to Florida from Newcastle, Delaware. He arrived with his father after the 1880 census but, fortunately, prior to Florida’s 1885 Special Census. Jacob Mote, Edwin’s father, had already established a Blacksmith business in Leesburg by 1885. Mote’s Livery Stable was at that time located at 3rd and Magnolia, where his son Edwin worked as well as a stable hand.


 1885 Mote’s Stable (red arrow), 3rd Street at Magnolia Avenue, Leesburg

The town of Leesburg, established officially nearly a decade prior to the Mote’s arriving, was on the verge of an economic boom in 1885 thanks to the arrival of two railroads. The city had been benefiting from steamboat traffic for years, having ports on both Lake Griffin and Lake Harris, but not until the first railroad arrived did Leesburg really begin to develop. And Edwin H. Mote was on the scene – ready, willing, and able to take full advantage of the 1880s boom.

 

Today, US 441 passes through Leesburg following the “Fort King & Volusia Trail’ of 1848, a north-south dirt road which hugged the west shore of Lake Griffin as it wound southbound from Ocala to a tiny sliver of land “800 yards wide”, an important land bridge where the trail, and now US 441, veered eastward toward Orange County. This east-west sliver of land provided the best opening for a railroad to veer east as well from Leesburg – to Tavares, which in 1882 began started promoting itself as the next logical railway connection east of Leesburg.

Progress of central Florida railroads of the 1880s however had been slow, but finally, in 1885, trains finally began delivering passengers to and from Ocala - as well as to and from Tavares.


 On the move! The Mote-Morris residence was moved in 1990 

Evander & Susannah Lee settled near here, and soon after Evander’s death in 1881, a town of Leesburg began to evolve in large part because of the efforts of the Lee family. Talk of a train serving Leesburg had begun in the 1870s, but the railroads were slow to make an approach into Lee’s town. Florida Southern Railroad inched southward, arriving at Lady Lake in 1884, and finally making its way to Leesburg in 1885.

 

Leesburg and its railroads are covered in more detail in my new book:

Chapter 25: The Western Gateway – Leesburg


Tavares: Darling of Orange County, Birthplace of Lake County

CLICK ON BOOK COVER TO BUY FROM AMAZON NOW!

By: Richard Lee Cronin

 

Two railroads and the citrus industry brought prosperity in 1885 to both Leesburg and Edwin Mote. But Edwin clearly had more in mind than being just a stable man or working at his father’s Blacksmith shop. As early as 1885 Edwin Mote began to branch out into a new venture. He also married Lucretia Hansbrough of Kentucky that year. Career wise however, teaming up with retired Union General Davis Tillson, of Rockland, Maine, proved to be in Edwin H. Mote’s best interest.

Over the summer of 1885, Edwin acquired 3 ½ acres along Main Street that had previously been a hotel. Mote, in partnership with General Tillson, made the Lakeview Motel a winner.


The Lake View Hotel at Leesburg by Edwin Mote and Davis Tillson


Leesburg of Sumter County and Tavares of Orange County became rivals in May 1887 after the two cities became neighboring towns in a new Lake County. Both wanted the title “County Seat”, and both campaigned vigorously through four county-wide elections held during 1888 and 1889.

Edwin H. Mote served as Leesburg Mayor for eight terms, but he also represented Lake County in the State’s House of Representatives in 1903. The native of Delaware died at Leesburg in 1931.   


The house was moved from Main Street two blocks further west to 1195 W. Magnolia Street. Later occupied by a Morris family, this author prefers to pay tribute to the original occupants - Edwin & Lucretia Mote - two Leesburg visionaries who dreamed of this magnificent structure.

HISTORIC LAKE COUNTY HOMES RETURNS IN JANUARY 2021

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If you enjoy Lake County history, you will love my book,

TAVARES: Darling of Orange County, Birthplace of Lake County

CLICK ON BOOK COVER ABOVE TO BUY AT AMAZON


 Thank you, Diane, I am happy to hear you enjoyed my book.

HOLIDAY GIFTING MADE EASY - GIVE A GIFT OF HISTORY!

Visit CroninBooks.com to view each of my central Florida books

AMAZON REVIEWS OF MY TAVARES BOOK ARE BELOW!

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