ICONIC ARCHITECTURE Historic Pensacola

pensacOla’s mOst prOminent architecture is displayed On buildings and structures thrOughOut histOric dOWntOWn pensacOla. Comprised of 30 different properties, Historic Pensacola spans across eight-anda-half acres which feature some of the most unique buildings in Pensacola. The architectural styles of the structures range from French Creole, Greek Revival and Folk Victorian to Mediterranean, Classical and Renaissance Revival. The structures feature a variety of different architectural styles. More than 150,000 historic artifacts are located in the buildings of Historic Pensacola.

A selection of 12 of the 30 buildings that make up Historic Pensacola are open to the public, and some offer tours. In certain locations, visitors can meet and interact with history interpreters to enhance their touring experience. One of the structures included in Historic Pensacola is the Old Christ Church. This church, true to its name, is one of the oldest surviving church buildings in Pensacola. Built in 1832, the architecture of the Old Christ Church contains elements of Norman-Gothic, which is a style transitioning from Roman-Classical to Gothic. While the architect and builder of the church are both unknown, it was built to be an Episcopal church. It now serves as a popular venue for events and weddings. Tours of the church are open Tuesday through Saturday and include the exploration of other historic sites as well.

Included in the tour is another significant building in Historic Pensacola called the Lear/Rocheblave House. This house was built in 1890 for John and Kate Lear, but they never lived in it. Instead, the house was inhabited by Captain Benito Rocheblave for many years and has been a museum house since 1988. The architecture is Folk Victorian, two-story and with Queen Anne design elements. The interior of the house reflects the Pensacola of the 1920s.

Also featured in the Tuesday through Saturday tours, is the Dorr House. Clara Barkley Dorr had the Dorr House built in 1871 for her and her five children during an economic boom in Pensacola. This Victorian era home has Greek or Classical Revival features, and the architect and builder are unknown. The Historic Pensacola Preservation Board purchased the house in 1975. The Barkley House was built around 1835. George Barkley first purchased the lot in 1825, and the Barkley House is the oldest surviving high-house in the city. It is now a popular event and wedding venue due to its beautiful grounds and great view.

The Pensacola Museum of History (formerly the Pensacola City Hall) is a three-story building of Mediterranean Revival architecture built in 1907. The museum has both permanent and changing galleries. Two of the most popular permanent exhibits are The City of Five Flags, artifacts telling the history of Pensacola and Trader Jon’s, memorabilia of Martin "Trader Jon" Weissman.

Another important property is The Quina House at 204 S Alcaniz Street, which may have been built as early as 1810, but the earliest documentation is 1821, making it the oldest structure in Pensacola that is still located on its original site. The building is a Spanish structure, one-and-a-half stories tall and was built from local pine, cypress and oak.

Being one of the oldest settlements in the United States, Pensacola has many more notable historic structures. These buildings have weathered hurricanes and stood the test of time, leaving their mark on Pensacola’s history. Find out more about Historic Pensacola and the available tours at historicpensacola.org.

Crystal Ice House

501 E Jordan St., Pensacola

The Crystal Ice House is a vintage ice station built in 1932. It is the lone survivor of four ice stations, and the architecture makes it look like it is built of ice. The ice station has a plaque that has a hand signal guide for ordering ice.

Blount Building

3 W Garden St., downtown Pensacola

The seven-story Blount Building is named after William Alexander Blount. Blount had the building constructed after a fire on Halloween night in 1905 which destroyed the building that occupied the site before. Completed in 1907, it was the tallest building in Florida at that time.

UFO House

2 Via De Luna Dr., Pensacola Beach

The small house on Pensacola Beach was built in 1966. The unique spaceship house is a “futuro” prefabricated home that was designed by Finnish architect Matti Suuronen. A favorite spot for photos, the UFO house has survived many hurricanes despite its unusual structure.

Saenger Theatre

118 S Palafox Pl., downtown Pensacola

First opened in 1925, the Pensacola Saenger Theatre is affectionately known as the Grand Dame of Palafox. The Saenger Theatre was built in the Spanish Baroque and Rococo architecture style and took almost 13 months to complete. The first shows hosted by the Saenger were Vaudeville shows, Broadway plays and silent screen classes. It was later used as a movie house until it closed in 1975 and was restored and reopened in 1981. The Saenger is currently home to Pensacola’s symphony, opera and ballet performances as well as touring musicians, comedians and off-Broadway shows. For more information, check out pensacolasaenger.com.

Historic Sacred Heart Hospital

1010 N 12th Ave., East Hill

Formerly known as the Pensacola Hospital, the historic Sacred Heart Hospital first opened in 1915. It was built in the Gothic Revival architectural style by Evans Brothers Construction. It was the first Catholic hospital as well as the first surgical, radiological, and bacterial facility in Florida. The name of the Pensacola Hospital changed in 1948, and the historic Sacred Heart Hospital was added to the United States National Register of Historic Places in 1982. The building currently houses O'zone Pizza, Lamonte Gelato and a variety of other businesses.