{"id":26618,"date":"2026-09-20T14:43:40","date_gmt":"2026-09-20T14:43:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/?p=26618"},"modified":"2026-09-20T14:43:40","modified_gmt":"2026-09-20T14:43:40","slug":"a-1937-florida-home-was-converted-into-law-offices-and-once-slated-for-demolition-after-nearly-7800-restoration-hours-the-4000-square-foot-house-is-a-residence-again-and-listed-for-3-5-million","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/?p=26618","title":{"rendered":"A 1937 Florida home was converted into law offices and once slated for demolition; after nearly 7,800 restoration hours, the 4,000-square-foot house is a residence again and listed for $3.5 million"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"e9jwa\">\n<div class=\"vdo_embedd\">\n<div class=\"GfdvZ\">\n<section class=\"_bIDB  clearfix id-r-component leadmedia undefined undefined  E9tg9 \" style=\"top:0px\">\n<div class=\"_bIDB\" data-ua-type=\"1\" onclick=\"stpPgtnAndPrvntDefault(event)\">\n<div class=\"ypVvZ\">\n<div class=\"WGttI\"><img src=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/msid-134366654,imgsize-173770,width-400,height-225,resizemode-4\/the-was-custom-built-for-ena-jackson-a-wealthy-widow.jpg\" alt=\"A 1937 Florida home was converted into law offices and once slated for demolition; after nearly 7,800 restoration hours, the 4,000-square-foot house is a residence again and listed for $3.5 million\" title=\"The was custom-built for Ena Jackson, a wealthy widow\" decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Ta7d_ img_cptn\"><span title=\"The was custom-built for Ena Jackson, a wealthy widow\">The was custom-built for Ena Jackson, a wealthy widow<\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>A 1937 Florida home that was once used as law offices and faced demolition has been restored as a single-family residence. The more than 4,000-square-foot Cade Allen home at 250 Mirror Lake Drive in St.<!-- --> Petersburg has been put on the market for $3.5 million after nearly 7,800 hours of restoration work.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"3\"\/>The house was built by St. Petersburg developer Cade Allen, who helped shape the architectural character of the Allendale neighbourhood. According to, St. Pete Catalys, it was custom-built for Ena Jackson, a wealthy widow whose late husband had made his fortune selling ice at a time when refrigeration was not widespread.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"7\"\/>Allen gave the home a distinctive version of the Mediterranean Revival style that was common in Florida at the time. Instead of relying mainly on stucco, the house used materials including marble, granite, fieldstone, silica and sandstone brought from several states. The property still has several of its original features, including hardwood floors, spiral stone columns, arch-shaped entryways, a clay-tiled roof and wood-framed windows.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"10\"\/>By 2023, the property had been converted into law offices and was slated for demolition. Backstreets Capital stepped in with a plan to preserve the historic house while developing condominiums on the land behind it. The company bought the 4,330-square-foot house and three neighbouring vacant parcels for a combined $5 million in Octoc.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"12\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h2>Nearly 7,800 hours spent on restoration<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"14\"\/>The restoration has now returned the property to its original purpose as a residence. <!-- -->Backstreets Capital restored 16 original doors and 30 windows, while four additional windows were rebuilt to match the original ones. More than 1,000 hours were spent on the exterior, and about one-third of the total restoration time went into the windows.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"18\"\/>Backstreets founder Will Conroy said the work involved many people and required close coordination. \u201cThe 7,800 hours- that was just the restoration. The overall work was many multiples of that,\u201d he told the St. <!-- -->Pete Catalyst.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"22\"\/>\u201cThe most difficult thing was coordination between everyone involved,\u201d Conroy said. \u201cIt was our favourite part, because you\u2019re working with so many talented people.\u201d<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"24\"\/>The restoration also revealed details about the original construction that were not immediately visible. Conroy said crews found that much of the old pine used in the house was extremely dense.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"26\"\/>\u201cOne of the things that stood out was just how solid the pine wood was,\u201d he said. <!-- -->\u201cSome of this old wood was petrified. You had to slam the nail in with a hammer extremely hard to get it to go in at all.\u201d<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"30\"\/>Backstreets reused the original wood wherever possible. However, some parts of the house needed new pine to support the existing walls.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"32\"\/><\/p>\n<div data-pos=\"0\" class=\"id-r-component iIpbx undefined  &#10;        \">\n<div><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"The property still has several of its original features\" msid=\"134366720\" imgsize=\"91498\" resizemode=\"4\" width=\"\" title=\"The property still has several of its original features\" placeholdersrc=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/photo\/83033472.cms\" offsetvertical=\"0\" placeholdermsid=\"47529300\" type=\"thumb\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/photo\/imgsize-91498,msid-134366720\/the-property-still-has-several-of-its-original-features.jpg\" data-api-prerender=\"true\"\/><\/p>\n<p>The property still has several of its original features<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"34\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h2>Historic features kept, modern facilities added<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"36\"\/>While the layout of the house has been changed slightly, the restoration has kept many of its original features. The property now has a modern kitchen, central air conditioning, larger bathrooms and updated plumbing.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"39\"\/>The living room retains its original stone fireplace and wood-framed windows. Large arched windows on the first floor also remain, offering views of Mirror Lake.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"41\"\/>The restoration was a particular focus for Conroy, who had previously worked across the street from the property in another Cade Allen home. He said the house was an important part of the area and questioned why it should have been demolished.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"43\"\/>\u201cWe didn\u2019t think Mirror Lake would be the same without this house,\u201d Conroy said, Tampa Bay Times reported. \u201cCade Allen is a legend. I would argue this is his masterpiece. Who are we to tear that down?\u201d<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"45\"\/>The preservation of the house also became part of a larger change in the area. <!-- -->In 2024, St. Petersburg established the Mirror Lake Historic District. Properties around the lake, including the Cade Allen home, are now given certain protections that make demolition or major alterations harder without city approval.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"49\"\/>The Cade Allen home is considered a contributing structure to the downtown historic district, although it is not individually listed on the local or national historic registers.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"52\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h2>Condominiums rise behind the restored home<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"54\"\/>Backstreets Capital is also developing a condominium project behind the historic house. Called The Cade, the project will have 15 residences in a seven-storey building.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"56\"\/>The original proposal called for 18 condominiums, but the developer later reduced the number to 15 larger three- and four-bedroom homes, each measuring more than 2,100 square feet.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"59\"\/>Construction of The Cade is now about halfway through the structure. <!-- -->Backstreets began work in April and has completed the foundations. \u201cWe are pouring the fourth-floor slab next week,\u201d Conroy said. \u201cSo we are about 50% done with the structure. We started in April and have the foundations set.\u201d<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"63\"\/>The project is expected to be completed in 2028. Six of the 15 condominium residences have already been sold.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"65\"\/>The new building will also retain a physical connection with the older house. To make space for The Cade, the detached garage belonging to the historic home had to be demolished. However, Backstreets salvaged its original granite.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"67\"\/>About 250 pieces of the granite have been preserved and will be used in The Cade\u2019s foyer and entrance. This means the material from the nearly century-old property will become part of the new building.<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/real-estate\/news\/a-1937-florida-home-was-converted-into-law-offices-and-once-slated-for-demolition-after-nearly-7800-restoration-hours-the-4000-square-foot-house-is-a-residence-again-and-listed-for-3-5-million\/articleshow\/134366546.cms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The was custom-built for Ena Jackson, a wealthy widow A 1937 Florida home that was once used as law offices and faced demolition has been restored as a single-family residence. The more than 4,000-square-foot Cade Allen home at 250 Mirror Lake Drive in St. Petersburg has been put on the market for $3.5 million after [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":26619,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26618","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-31"],"magazineBlocksPostFeaturedMedia":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/the-was-custom-built-for-ena-jackson-a-wealthy-widow.jpg","medium":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/the-was-custom-built-for-ena-jackson-a-wealthy-widow.jpg","medium_large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/the-was-custom-built-for-ena-jackson-a-wealthy-widow.jpg","large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/the-was-custom-built-for-ena-jackson-a-wealthy-widow.jpg","1536x1536":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/the-was-custom-built-for-ena-jackson-a-wealthy-widow.jpg","2048x2048":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/the-was-custom-built-for-ena-jackson-a-wealthy-widow.jpg","blogsy-small":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/the-was-custom-built-for-ena-jackson-a-wealthy-widow.jpg","blogsy-small-tall":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/the-was-custom-built-for-ena-jackson-a-wealthy-widow.jpg","blogsy-small-square":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/the-was-custom-built-for-ena-jackson-a-wealthy-widow.jpg","blogsy-small-masonry":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/the-was-custom-built-for-ena-jackson-a-wealthy-widow.jpg","blogsy-medium":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/the-was-custom-built-for-ena-jackson-a-wealthy-widow.jpg","blogsy-medium-masonry":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/the-was-custom-built-for-ena-jackson-a-wealthy-widow.jpg","blogsy-large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/the-was-custom-built-for-ena-jackson-a-wealthy-widow.jpg","blogsy-wide":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/the-was-custom-built-for-ena-jackson-a-wealthy-widow.jpg"},"magazineBlocksPostAuthor":{"name":"admin","avatar":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8709732a479614e7a8aa24d3eb1b239f30dc6d90c61464ed495001e7a469d856?s=96&d=mm&r=g"},"magazineBlocksPostCommentsNumber":"0","magazineBlocksPostExcerpt":"The was custom-built for Ena Jackson, a wealthy widow A 1937 Florida home that was once used as law offices and faced demolition has been restored as a single-family residence. The more than 4,000-square-foot Cade Allen home at 250 Mirror Lake Drive in St. Petersburg has been put on the market for $3.5 million after [&hellip;]","magazineBlocksPostCategories":["\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36 \u0b2c\u0b3f\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36"],"magazineBlocksPostViewCount":1,"magazineBlocksPostReadTime":5,"magazine_blocks_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/the-was-custom-built-for-ena-jackson-a-wealthy-widow.jpg",400,225,false],"medium":["https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/the-was-custom-built-for-ena-jackson-a-wealthy-widow.jpg",300,169,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/the-was-custom-built-for-ena-jackson-a-wealthy-widow.jpg",150,84,false]},"magazine_blocks_author":{"display_name":"admin","author_link":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/author\/admin"},"magazine_blocks_comment":0,"magazine_blocks_author_image":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8709732a479614e7a8aa24d3eb1b239f30dc6d90c61464ed495001e7a469d856?s=96&d=mm&r=g","magazine_blocks_category":"<a href=\"#\" class=\"category-link category-link-31\">\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36 \u0b2c\u0b3f\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36<\/a>","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26618","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=26618"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26618\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/26619"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=26618"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=26618"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=26618"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}