The walls of this Florida house have witnessed more than a century of history, including 41 years with the same couple who refused to let its past disappear. After moving into the 1908 home in 1985, Margi and Pat Nanney devoted decades to preserving its original character. The home has now become Manatee County’s first local historic landmark. The three-story Johnson Helm House in Oneco, Florida, has retained much of the character it had when it was built in 1908. Original features including its woodwork, windows, floors and staircase have survived, offering a glimpse into the area’s past. The home was already recognised on the National Register of Historic Places, but its latest distinction is different. The Manatee County Commission unanimously approved the property as the county’s first locally designated historic landmark, according to Bay News 9.
A 1908 Florida home
The Johnson Helm House dates back to the early 20th century and is associated with Johnson and Fannie Helm, who were among the property’s early residents. The house is notable not simply because of its age. According to WWSB, it was designed in the Richardsonian Romanesque Revival style, an architectural style characterised by substantial forms, arched openings and elaborate masonry. The style is uncommon along Florida’s Suncoast, adding to the home’s architectural importance. Inside, many original details remain. The house still has its original floors, windows, woodwork and staircase. The staircase includes hand-carved newel posts, while historic photographs preserved by the Nanneys offer a visual record of how the property looked more than a century ago. The home has remained remarkably intact despite the changes that have taken place around it.
A family’s 41-year connection
The Nanneys moved into the house in 1985, beginning what would become more than four decades of caring for the property. Rather than extensively modernising the historic structure, they worked to retain its original features. According to Bay News 9, Nanney said the house is still approximately 95% original. The property also became the setting for the Nanneys’ own family history. Their children were born in 1988 and 1992, and height marks made on the walls remain as reminders of their childhood.Over the years, the couple also collected photographs and other materials connected to the home’s history. Some descendants of the original owners eventually reached out to the Nanneys, helping add further pieces to the story of the house. For Margi Nanney, maintaining an old property has been a long-term commitment rather than a simple renovation project. The years of work have helped ensure that details from the home’s early history were not lost.
First local landmark
The new designation gives the Johnson Helm House a distinction it did not previously have. Although the property was already listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the county’s local designation provides another level of recognition and protection. Bay News 9 reported that Manatee County Commissioner Amanda Ballard said the County established its local historic designation process about 13 years ago, but the Johnson Helm House is the first property to complete the process and receive the designation. The county’s approval also means future changes to the property will be subject to review. That helps protect the historic characteristics that made the house eligible for the designation in the first place. The approval followed about a year of work on the designation process. The Manatee County Commission ultimately voted unanimously to recognise the property.
Preserving Oneco’s past
The significance of the Johnson Helm House extends beyond the building itself. The property is located in Oneco, a community whose history is closely connected with agriculture, citrus growing and nurseries. The Nanneys hope the recognition of their home can help draw greater attention to that history.Their preservation efforts also show how historic buildings can remain part of everyday life rather than becoming simply preserved objects. For 41 years, the Johnson Helm House has been both a family home and a link to an earlier period of Manatee County. The Nanneys have even considered a future in which the house could become more accessible to the public.
A house with more history ahead
More than a century after it was built, the Johnson Helm House has now entered another chapter. The home survived changes in its surroundings, remained largely intact and spent 41 years in the care of one family. Its original architectural details continue to tell the story of the people who lived there and the community that grew around it. Now, as Manatee County’s first local historic landmark, the 1908 house has gained an official place in the county’s preserved history. For the Nanneys, that recognition represents more than an honour. It is a way of ensuring that the work they began when they moved in during 1985 can continue long after their own 41-year chapter with the house has ended.
