Century:

Tannenheim

Century: Tannenheim

Tannenheim is located near Century, Florida. The town was built in 1901 by a lumberman named Alger and a landowner named Sullivan. Labor problems in Alabama caused them to choose a tract near the black settlement of Teaspoon. The mill provided the jobs, the stores, schools, housing and services.

The Victorian mansion was built in 1904.
The home is constructed entirely of heart pine wood.
Columns that are as wide as many of the surrounding trees flank the front door with its heavy beveled glass insets that have rippled under the weight of years. The spacious interior contains 18 rooms.
There are 6 bedrooms, 4 baths, 12 fireplaces, office, parlor, study, living, dining, kitchen, utility room, and third-floor ballroom in the 7500 square foot house.
The heart pine flooring is original to the house and has been lovingly restored.
Heavy wooden beams reinforce the first floor ceiling.
The dining room is adjacent to the kitchen and front parlour.
Toy Arnett, owner of Tannenheim and Bennie Barnes, Mayor of Century have coffee in the kitchen.
The kitchen stove is a replica of a wood burning model.
Some of the bath fixtures are unusual, such as the childs tub in the foreground.
This is a fireplace in one of the upstairs bedrooms. Only five rooms in the mansion do not have a fireplace.
Toy Arnett gives a tour of the newly renovated home.
There are unique storage rooms on the second floor. Homes of this period did not have closets in bedrooms. Special rooms were dedicated to linen, pantries and utility services because servants took care of those chores.
This room served as a breezeway on hot evenings. It is located above the formal side entry.
The wood trim, ceilings and floors have been restored throughout the house. The staircase in the background leads to the third floor ballroom.
The staircase leads to the third floor ballroom
The fan was placed at the third floor level to pull air through the house. Presently five central air conditioning units are located in the house so that no duct work is intrusive.
The entire third floor was used as a ballroom.
There is a small balcony overlooking the front driveway and garden off the second floor hall.
The house is surrounded by groves of hardwood trees.
The mansion was built by one of the owners of the Alger Sullivan lumber mill.
The sheltered portico is attached to the west side of the house.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Century, Florida was the nation's leading producer of Southern pine timber.
Pecan orchards flank the house in three directions.
A long entrance road leads up a hill to the three-story mansion.
A row of crape myrtle trees line the driveway.
The property is located on Highway 4A.
The carriage house is located directly behind the main house.
The stable and pump house are located adjacent to the carriage house in the rear of the property.
The back of the main house can be seen in the left side of the photograph.
The water was pumped from an artisan spring to the house.
There are many old hardwood trees on the property, such as the oak pictured above.
A freshwater spring flows through the southwest corner of the property.
The lake is approximately eight acres.
The steps lead into a shallow area. The pond was used as a swimming pool.
The lake is decked on the east side with concrete.
A man-made waterfall functions as the spillway for the lake.
The rocks that form the waterfalls were brought from the old lumber mill.
Tannenheim is German for fir tree house.
The lake is surrounded by mature oaks and native hardwoods.
The original kitchen has been completely refurbished. The dining room can be seen in the background.