Plant Sumner House

This building has a mysterious history. It is very similar in style to houses built by the railroad magnate Henry Plant. He built the luxury hotel, the Belleview and some believe Plant’s supervisors, either from the railroad or the hotel, lived in the house.

The building dates to the mid 1890s and few homes on the Pinellas Peninsula could then boast the modern conveniences of this otherwise modest middle class home. This seven-room home had electricity, running water and an elaborate bathroom. It received running water from the hotel’s waterworks, which predated Clearwater’s city water system.

In 1912, the Reverend Robert Sumner purchased the home for his family. A Methodist minister and dairy farmer, Sumner also served for a time as postmaster of the Town of Belleair. A member of the Whitehurst family lived in the house from the mid-1950s until the early 1970s. In 1976, this became the first structure to be moved to Heritage Village and was opened to the public in September of 1977.

Middle Class Farmhouse

This homestead – style house is a middle class suburban variation of the farmhouse. Check out the four brick fireplaces and the 7-foot tub – they are in their original condition.

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