Asa May House (Capps, Florida)
Description and history
The Greek Revival style farmhouse was possibly built c. 1836 for Burwell Miles McBride shortly after he moved to Territorial Florida from South Carolina. McBride was reportedly the father of Caroline (McBride) Murray and the grandfather of Margaret (Murray) May (1829-1898) who married Asa May (1820-1878). May was one of the wealthiest planters in North Florida, at one time owning more than 3,000 acres of land in Jefferson County alone.
Burwell either gave Rosewood Plantation to his daughter Caroline, who later passed it onto her daughter, Margaret; or Burwell gave it directly to his granddaughter Margaret, and then her husband Asa, through marriage. Asa May married Margaret Martha Murray on December 23, 1846.
The home have been may have built in the late 1840's by the enslaved people on Margaret "Martha" (Murray) May's 1,000 acre plantation. It is located 10 miles south of Monticello on the east side of Capps Road.
The Asa May House exhibits characteristic of the Sand Hills style architecture. The exterior is constructed of cypress, the interior of heart pine both native to Florida. The bricks used for the chimneys and piers are believed to have been made onsite. There appear to be no additions and only a few minor alterations throughout the history of the structure.
The house and surrounding property were divided out from the rest of the plantation sometime in the 1900s and is currently under private ownership.
References
- ^ "National Register of Historical Places - Florida (FL), Jefferson County". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2007-02-20.
- ^ "Jefferson County listings". Florida's History Through Its Places. Florida's Office of Cultural and Historical Programs. 2007-02-20. Archived from the original on 2007-02-16. Retrieved 2006-09-26.
- ^ "Florida Historical Marker".
- ^ "Florida Memory".
- ^ "Library of Congress".
External links
Media related to Asa May House at Wikimedia Commons
- Jefferson County markers, Florida's Office of Cultural and Historical Programs
- Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) No. FL-284, "Asa May House, U.S. Route 19, Capps, Jefferson County, FL", 8 measured drawings, supplemental material
- Sand Hills cottage style
- Florida Cracker Architecture
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