Boca Raton house built in 1921 faces an uncertain future

BOCA RATON, Florida. The house, located at 156 Pearl St. in Boca Raton is unlike any other.

It’s quiet here, but its years of history speak volumes as it’s one of the first homes built in Pearl City, a tiny pocket inside present-day Boca Raton.

“I think it’s extremely important because of Pearl City’s heritage,” Doris Demery Hester said.

Hester was born and raised in Pearl City.

“This is the only area where only blacks, only blacks can buy property,” Hester said. “We couldn’t buy property anywhere else. And the only reason we were allowed to buy this property is because of work.”

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The now endangered house was built in 1921 and is affectionately named Fountain House after the family that owns it. Today, more than 100 years later, the community is fighting to save it.

“I think it’s extremely important for us to keep that in mind,” Hester added.

The current owners of the Fountain House found themselves between a rock and a hard place.

The house needs gentle care, but it will cost a lot more than it does now. The only expensive alternative is to move it to another location or tear it down and say goodbye to a piece of Pearl City’s history.

“I understand that she wants something different, but it would be sad to see this crumble because with all the other houses or demolished, it was sad to see them crumble too,” said Stivett Richardson, a lifelong Pearl City resident. .

Homes like Hester’s are located across the street from Fountain House, and she said her family was in a similar situation when they decided to rebuild in 2015.

“It hurts,” Hester said. “It hurts me because I grew up on this lot, so when they were ready to demolish it, my sister sent me all the photos while they were demolishing the house.”

According to the Boca Raton Historical Society, a home must have a place before they can start fundraising, and they are open to suggestions.

“I would like someone to come and move this house to one of the free land left in Pearl City,” Hester said. “I don’t want him to leave Pearl City. I want it either on the grounds of AME Macedonian Church or on the grounds of Ebenezer Baptist Church. Macedonia is the oldest church in the city of Boca Raton.”

Like other major properties in Pearl City, many hope the home, which is now the last of its kind, will stand the test of time.