Some owners of the Mote-Morris house long ago...

Bishop Henry Clay Morrison and his wife Elizabeth Stoner Morrison

While the Morrison family isn't immortalized in the name of the Mote-Morris House,Bishop Henry Clay Morrison is forever linked with the Methodist church. Morrison United Methodist Church is named for him. Morrison moved to Leesburg with the idea of buying a retirement home in 1908. He purchased the Mote's home,which was just rebounding after a period of declining attendance. After struggling and seeing attendance drop from 200 in1896, to around 100 by the turn of the century,and 87 in 1905, the Methodist church began to grow again with 88 members in 1906. The 1910 census lists the Morrison family and those living in the house.It included Morrison and his wife,two grown sons, one daughter-in-law and five grandchildren.After Morrison died the house was sold to John S. Morris in 1918

Mote-Morris House Journeys long ago...

Edward H. Mote and his wife Lucretia bought the property at 1021 W. Main Street from John Love in February 1889. The Victorian-style house was completed in 1892 for about $9,000. The house had a nursery, but the Motes remained childless and sold the home to Bishop Henry Clay Morrison in 1908, who bought it as a retirement residence.
Morrison made many improvements to the house, including the addition of electricity by his son, Dr. H.K. Morrison, who birthed about 3,000 Leesburg babies.

The Morris house holds the distinction of being the only house in Leesburg to be placed on the National Register of Historic Homes. It was given this award in 1974, and has housed three generations of the Morris family since it was purchased by John S. Morris in 1920.The present owners are Robert and Georgiana Morris,owners of Yalaha Nurseries.


The house was sold to John S. and May James Morris in 1918. A member of the Morris family lived in the house for the next 70 years. They added indoor plumbing in phases.
Son Robert moved his family into the house to care for his aging mother May in the mid-1950s. His father, John S. Morris, died several years earlier. When May J. Morris died in 1973 the house was willed to Robert and Georgianna. The Mote-Morris House was placed on the National Register of Historic Places the following year.

The Mote-Morris House was purchased by Morrison United Methodist Church in 1988 and the church offered the house to whomever would move it. The house was relocated from 1021 West Main Street to 1195 West Magnolia Street in 1990. The community raised $95,000 so the house could be moved.

Research Info:
Daily Commercial Newspaper articles(July1988),
http://www.leesburgflorida.gov/history/student_leesburg.aspx
Leesburg Hertiage Society Museum

Walking Tour of Historic Downtown Leesburg,Florida

Leesburg Hertiage Society,Inc. presents a walk through our downtown area. Leesburg is named after Evander Lee, who operated a store on the corner of Third and Main Streets. Evander bought his property in 1857 and the town was incorporated in 1875.The downtown is still the thriving heart of the city.His first store was built in the late 1850's.Other followed, and after over 150 years of uniterupted and subtantial development,Leesburg's real growth is just beginning. A short visit to the downtown Museum at 111 Sixth Street will bring you the most accurate information obtainable on points not covered in the blog. As a part of your downtown experience you might also wish to visit the historic Mote-Morris House on the corner of Magnolia and 12th street.Free Guided Tours are offered on the 2nd Saturday of the month from 10am-2pm.Also open during city events in the park.(Next Scheduled Tour is next Saturday May 11,2013 at 10am-2pm





Leesburg Hertiage Society Museum
 111 Sixth Street
Leesburg, Fla 34748
Business Days/Hours:Mon.-Fri.10am-4pm
Saturdays 8am-2pm

Mote-Morris House open SATURDAY May 11,2013 10am-2pm

 Next Tour May 11,2013 OPEN 10AM-2PM

 FREE to public

 Bedroom Second Floor

Mystery Flaucet in Study

Short Daily Commercial article- Mote-Morris house committee meets(Sept 8,1989)

Leesburg- A committee formed to decide where the Mote-Morris House will be moved, met Wednesday to organize. The committee made no decisions,however the committee appointed Lauren Stokes as chairman and appointed members to check on the land prices of the proposed sites. In another area, the committee members began looking into fund raising opportunities. A report is scheduled to be made at the committee' s next meeting on Wednesday. The committee is expected to meet in City Hall at 3p.m.

Daily Commercial(Tuesday,August 15, 1989) Mote-Morris backers voice postion late

Mote-Morris backers voice position late

By Lauren E. Stokes Leesburg ,Fla

I would like to respond to several points made in the editorial dated July 22, concerning the Mote-Morris house. As one of the "picketing preservationists," I would like to respond to the question about why only now protest? I feel the church's ultimate aims were not made clear or public until the article appeared in the Daily Commercial on July 1, that stated if the home were not moved it would be destroyed or razed. It has been our position as a group that we are first and foremost protest the destruction of this historic and architecturally significant home.  

Since the statements made in early July were the first references of this kind, we felt the negotiations between the city of Leesburg and Morrison church officials had reached an impasse that the time was appropriate to voice our position. I would like to clarify that the city of Leesburg, since the purchase of the home by Morrison United Methodist Church,has in fact been in tough with state restoration and preservation officials. The city has worked diligently applying for restoration grants and in negotiations with the church.The city of Leesburg offered to purchase and pave the vacant lot across Main Street from the Mote-Morris house in exchange for the house. As stated in your editorial, the church has rejected this offer.

 If we have made a mistake in our timing, it was based on erroneous assumptions, the most important being that the church would even consider the destruction of the home of such overwhelming importance for the community. I regret that I and others did not publicly support the Mote-Morris house earlier. I truly hope that if that has been a mistake that it does not have grave consequences.

Daily Commercial/A New York Times Company-Working on It(August 17,1989)

E.A. Nichols Jr.-Publisher

James M. Archer-Editor

Glenn Marston-Managing Editor

Emmett Peter Jr.-Contributing Editor

 

Mote-Morris House

TIME is Short, but there is still hope for historic home

It's amazing how far a little communication and cooperation will go. Just ask Morrison United Methodist officials and a group of preservationists trying to save an historic house on church property. It now appears the Leesburg home,the Mote-Morris House, can be moved a short distance without a loss of government preservation grants and without removal from the National Historic Register. The home was built by one of Leesburg's first mayors, E.H. Mote, in 1892 and was later used as a residence for a church bishop. State historic preservation officials have termed the house as "an important....and significant building.

" Church officials purchased the home last year, intending to use the site as a parking lot. Since then, Morrison officials have tried to find someone who would buy the home and move it off the church property. Preservationists, however, resisted the effort to relocate the house. They and Leesburg city officials feared that moving the structure would remove it from the Historic Register and thereby rule out the chance for grant money to renovate it.

Now, however, state officials report that moving the house to either a vacant lot across from its current Main Street location or to another nearby site apparently won't jeopardize state grants. The major obstacle now is a state deadline-September 15 for applying for the grants. Church and city officials and preservationists need to get moving. They should work together under these guildlines:

• While some private groups may be able to assist in the purchase of a new site, city officials who were among the harshest of the church critics- should foot much of the bill for relocation. The church shouldn't fund a dime.

• Church officials should stick by their repeated claims of a willingness to wait for a solution. True, they already have shown admirable patience, but the cause is worth a little longer wait.

• As far as the actual revonation, city officials,at least in a coordinating sense, will have to take the lead. They should explore ways of getting the entire community involved, particularly the younger citizens. Students could be used for everything from actual renovation work to researching and recording the home's past. School and community clubs should be asked to assist in the fund-raisers.

• City officials should also hold public hearings to discuss the eventual use of the renovated home. Such uses could include a museum or public meeting place.Where once there was acrimony, finger-pointing and picketing, there is now communication and some fledgling trust. Just pray that it isn't too late.