Knott House Museum: One of the Most Historically Significant Homes in Florida
One of the most historically significant residences in Tallahassee, the Knott House Museum is a living piece of the Sunshine State's legacy. It was from the steps of the Knott House on Park Avenue that the Emancipation Proclamation was read by Brig. Gen. Edward McCook on May 20, 1865, declaring freedom for all slaves in the Florida Panhandle. The house also served as the headquarters for the Union Army during the Civil War.
Today the house named for Luella and William Knott is a popular destination for the architecturally inclined and the historically curious. The museum is run by the Museum of Florida History.
The house was built in 1843, most likely by builder George Proctor, a free black builder prominent in that day, for attorney Thomas Hagner and his wife Catherine Gamble.
After the Civil War, local doctor George Betton used the building as both his home and office during the 1880s. Betton was a teacher of his carriage driver, William Gunn, who went on to become the state's first licensed African-American physician.
During the early 20th century, the Knott House was home to three different Florida Supreme Court justices.
In 1928, it was bought by the Knotts, whose long term of residence and their own prominent place in Florida history gave the house its name, despite not living there until the building was already 85 years old.
William Knott was a prominent politician, while Luella Knott was a poet of some renown. They died within eight days of each other in 1965, when Luella was 93 years of age and William had reached a ripe 101.
Suffering from poor health most of her life, Luella Knott frequently entertained in her home. She attached poems to her furnishings with satin ribbons, drawing attention to her unique antiques. She often wrote verses about the home and its furnishings, causing the site to be known as the "House That Rhymes." Many of those same furnishings and poems are still on display in the house.
William Knott served in a number of elected and appointed offices throughout his long career in politics, including the first state auditor and, later, state treasurer and state comptroller. He was famous for scouring the state's financial books, finding clerical errors and shortages. He lost a close election for governor in 1917 and served the longest term as state treasurer than anyone.
After the Knotts' son died in 1985, the house was bequeathed to the Historic Tallahassee Preservation Board. After extensive renovations, the Knott House Museum opened to the public in 1992. Its administration was transferred to the Museum of Florida History in 1997.
Posted on Apr 6, 2011 by Christopher Lloyd
