“all I can be is me, whoever that is…”
~Bob Dylan
Today we visited the home of one of the larger than life historic characters woven into our town’s history…Do you have one of those families?
Creative, imaginative, Doers, thinkers, makers
…all wrapped up in a beautiful bit of odd.
In our Town it was Waldo Sexton.His home is Just up the road.
Built without an architect…or a plan…
And as old as it gets for Florida…built in 1917.
Sexton was a man who was not afraid to render an opinion… and who never hesitated to embroider a story.
He apparently loved his martinis and women,
bells and things from the sea
...he possessed a compelling urge to create
And create he did…and as his grandson said today…
“Any way he could make a buck from a dayum yankee…he would.”
By 1917 he had planted over 100,000 citrus trees in the area.
He helped to create McKee Tropical Jungle that had over
100,000 visitors a year in it’s hey day.
He had a penchant for old wood, wrought iron, spanish tile and collectibles.
...And would often salvage the works from his friend Addison Mizner’s spanish styled Palm Beach mansions.
His home did not disapoint
his eclectic nature was everywhere.
Pecky cypress ceilings…
Collected…
Homemade…
home found.
gathered.
It is currently lived in by his grandson…and was host to a local plant show…plant arranging show.
lucky us.
Ya know…
I am still so smitten with Florida's tropical's
right outside our door…
willing to be bent and stapled…
and still maintaining their tropical cool.
Waldo…being the dad that he was built a tree house...
that turned into a house house
Every bit as quirky as the main house
So full of fun and funk…
authentic.
sea swept
No pretention.
Just
timeworn…beautiful... in that old soul kinda way
Yep.
old tired soul character.
My favorite kind.
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