This home was built in 1888 by John Neill Searcy. The Searcy homestead was a substantial estate on the west side of the town of Longwood; it stretched from the shores of West Lake to the north and southward to encompass all of Lake Searcy. The home stayed in the Searcy family for over a century. Searcy was originally from Tennessee and spent four years in the Confederate army during the Civil War. The Searcy family arrived in Longwood via steamer “Starlight” to Mellonville (Sanford) on March 23, 1873. At 31, John walked on foot from the wharf with intentions…

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