By Jodi Mailander Farrell
Believed to have been built in 1843 by George Proctor, a free black master carpenter and builder, the Knott House in Tallahassee is rich with historic significance because on May 20, 1865, the Emancipation Proclamation was read on its front steps, granting slaves their freedom.
The stately, white, columned house, now a part of the Museum of Florida History, was occupied during the Civil War by Confederate and then Union troops. But it’s also know for its quirky past as “the house of rhymes.” That’s because Luella Knott, wife of state treasurer William Knott, lived here and attached her poems to furniture with satin ribbons in the 1920s and ’30s.
You can tour the restored house, at 301 E. Park Ave., for free between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, as well as Saturdays between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Call 850-922-2459 or visit the house's website for more details.
