The final stop on my awesome guided tour of Historic Pensacola Village was the Lear-Rocheblave House. Built in 1890 by John and Kate Lear, this house is a great example of middle-class Victorian architecture. At 4,000 square feet in size, I told Scott that I couldn't believe a house with such ornate architecture inside and outside and the sheer size would be considered middle-class. The exterior has jigsawed porches all around the first and second floors, while the inside has spacious rooms decorated in Victorian furniture and architecture. The Lear-Rocheblave Home is way bigger than our little two bedroom, one bathroom house in Idaho.
The Lear-Rocheblave Home has an interesting history. Shortly after the house was finished and the large Lear family was about to move in, John Lear, a prominent maritime merchant, filed for divorce from Kate. Back in Victorian times, divorce was frowned upon big time, and divorced women were ostracized from their communities. The Lear family never lived in their new home.
So the house was bought by another maritime merchant, Benito Rocheblave, and this family lived in this house for many years before it became part of Pensacola Village.
Even with the huge house and wealth, Pensacola was behind the times. Indoor plumbing didn't exist until the 20th Century, and if the Tennessee Valley Association didn't come into existence in the 1920s, electricity would not have been provided until the 1950's at the earliest. Disease ran rampant through Pensacola in its early history. Yellow fever epidemics killed many Pensacolans, and malaria and other tropical diseases also helped to decimate the population.
The end of the tour of Lear-Rocheblave House was also the end of my tour. Scott and I shook hands, and I told him his tour was very informative and enjoyable and that I learned a lot about Pensacola history. I would highly recommend a trip to Historic Pensacola Village if you ever visit Western Florida. It's well-worth your time and money!