The Lord-Higel House is named for its first owner/builder (Joseph H. Lord) and first resident/grove manager (George Higel).
Restoration
of this structure will create a venue for depicting the lives and times of the pioneer settlers of the Venice area. Local residents and
visitors will learn about pioneer history and obtain information about other area attractions.
History of the House
According
to lumber invoices, the house was constructed in 1896. It was built on the highest ground of ninety acres purchased four years earlier
by Joseph H. Lord to establish a citrus grove. The house site and surrounding acreage were located south of
Designed in the Queen Anne vernacular style, the two-story house was constructed of “fat
lighter” pine, often referred to as heart of pine. This type of wood contains high levels of pitch, making the wood impervious to
insects, and so hard it is difficult to saw and nail. The first floor exterior was clad with wood plank and the second floor with
shingles.
In 1950 the house was moved to Laguna Drive, requiring the removal of its defining architectural feature, a wrap-around
porch with cypress support columns. It was then converted from a single family residence to a duplex.
The house was converted
back to a single family residence in the 1990s. In 2005 the house was given to the city of
One of the original doors and many of the original two-over-two wood sash windows
have survived. The porch and the missing doors and windows will be replicated.
About Joseph H. Lord
Lord was one of the early
settlers in what is now the city of
Lord operated a fleet of fishing vessels between
Young children then living in the Venice area remembered seeing him planting orange trees at night by lantern on land south
of Roberts Bay that he purchased in 1892.
In 1910 Lord published a real estate advertisement in the Chicago Tribune that attracted
Mrs. Bertha Palmer’s attention. This motivated her to purchase and develop many acres of
When
About George Higel
Higel was born in
For twenty years Higel
was the manager of Joseph H. Lord’s citrus grove.
In addition to his tasks as Grove Manager, Higel was the author of a successful
column in the Sarasota Times newspaper, using the pen name “Nemo.” These columns chronicled family events, arrival and departure of
tourists, results of fishing and hunting expeditions, weather, and local business happenings. Higel also served as an elected trustee
of the
Higel wed Abigail Williams in 1906. During their marriage, they
had six children, five of whom were born while the family inhabited the Joseph H. Lord House. The Higels resided in the structure
until 1919.