If you’re one of those people who pull over on the side of the road when you see an historical marker, you’ll be interested to know about the newest one in Franklin County, which was recently unveiled on 5th Street in front of the the Hanserd-Fry House. It’s one of sixteen state historical markers in the county, ten of which are located in our small town of Apalachicola. This structure served as the Apalachicola Museum of Art until recently, when it became the office and visitor center of the St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge. The marker was made possible by June Dosik, Michaelin and David Watts of the Bring Me a Book Foundation, the Historical Apalachicola Foundation, Marie and Willoughby Marshall and the Florida Department of State
The text of the new marker reads:
Constructed ca. 1845, the Hanserd-Fry House is one of Apalachicola’s finest examples of Palladian Greek Revival style architecture. The well-preserved house features a symmetrical porch with Tuscan classical columns typical of the Greek Revival style, floor to ceiling windows, and a central hall, four-room plan. The building’s earliest known owner was Joseph Hanserd, who owned the house as early as 1866. Kate W. Ayers acquired the house from Hanserd in 1872. Captain Weber Fry, a riverboat captain on the Apalachicola River, bought the house in 1880. During the twentieth century, Dr. August E. Center, a physician revered by the town’s residents, lived in the house for several decades. The non-profit Historic Apalachicola Foundation, Inc. purchased the house in 1995. In an award-winning restoration recognized by the Florida Trust for Preservation in 2008, the organization returned the house to its original appearance, removing a later front porch and rear additions. From 2006 to 2016, the Hanserd-Fry House served as the Apalachicola Museum of Art.
The Hanserd-Fry House is located near the intersection of 5th Street and Avenue F. Explore the other state historical markers in the area and discover more of our rich history.
