BRADENTON, Fla. — After several years of intense salvaging, repair and restoration work, the oldest home in Manatee County is on the market.
The home was built in the late 1800s by the first European settlers in Bradenton. The current owner, a local philanthropist, and the realtors are hoping for new owners who would become stewards of the home's heritage and legacy or any organization that would acquire it for larger public benefit.
"The significance of this home is that it is the oldest existing residential property in this area," Thomas Netzel, a Sarasota-based broker associate with Premier Sotheby's International Realty, said.
Netzel is the listing agent for the 4,000-square-foot home built on a half-acre lot
Originally featuring large porches, the two-story, formerly 7-bedroom Tole Fogarty House located on Riverview Boulevard was built in 1871 by Captain Bartholomew "Tole" Fogarty.
He was one of three ship-farer brothers who filed claims to the land and settled in the area between 1867-1868. They named it Fogartyville which was later incorporated into Braidentown and is now West Bradenton. A fourth brother remained in St Augustine.
"Each brother constructed a home. Unfortunately, the two others no longer exist," Netzel said.
According to county records, the house was purchased for restoration for $435,000 in 2022 by local philanthropist and veterinarian Dr. Harold Ott. Ott made the move after a community campaign led by Peggy Donoho, one of the Fogarty descendants was galvanized to save the house from imminent from demolition by developers.
"When the current owner purchased the property, it was in complete dilapidation. So much so that there was a tree growing right through the center of the home and through the roof. It was open to the elements and exposed all of the deterioration," he said.
However, two years later, the now 5-bedroom 4.5 bathroom home has received a major facelift including a new sturdier foundation, hurricane-proofing, and modern upgrades.
"The home has been lifted off its original foundation and jacked up and set on a brand new foundation. It has a new standing seam, metal roof, new clapboard, siding, new doors and windows, new landscaping, and essentially every mechanical like electric and air-conditioning and plumbing has been completely retrofitted," Netzel said.
"There are many things inside the home that were salvaged from the original home and chiefly is the hand carved wood spent staircase in the home and much of the original oak and pine hardwood flooring as well as all of the interior doors," Netzel added.
"The kitchen has been completely updated with new features and amenities and marble and quartz, but it also integrates some of the original woodwork that would've been used in the floors. So as you look as you walk through the kitchen, you'll see walls clad with original woodwork, and as you go up one of the two staircases in the home, you'll see that many of the walls are clad with that wood as well," he said.
"Entering each of the bedrooms you'll find original woodwork and millwork and doors that were reclaimed from the home so it's interesting that as you go through the home you'll see so many beautiful updated features like a larger walk-in closet and beautiful showers and baths but you'll also be able to touch and feel and see and know you're surrounded by so much of the original history from 153 years ago," Netzel said.
The lead restoration expert and construction engineer on the project was David Windham who spent the past four decades reviving old structures. The restoration team from David Windham Construction Inc. mostly stayed true to the original designs and architectural elements of the building but faced limitations because of the dilapidated state of the building and the safety requirements they had to adhere to in order to bring the building up to current codes and standards.
With all the combined efforts over the years to save it and bring it out of disrepair, the home is now ready to move to its next chapter.
"It's ready to be transferred to the new owners so that they, themselves, can serve as ambassadors and stewards going forward and continue to harbor the legacy of this beautiful property. But what we're really hoping for is that the county or a community interest group would purchase this property and begin opening it up and sharing it with the community itself so that the usage and the knowledge about it isn't limited to one family, but instead the entire community," Netzel added.
The price tag for this piece of history is $2.15 million. The property is also located near the Lewis Park Children's Playground.