Historic Victorian house owned by Tarpon Springs founder lists

The 1885 Victorian-era estate, built for Edwin H. Knapp, one of the founding fathers of Tarpon Springs, is now on the market. 

Known as the Crescent House, the historic landmark at 115 S. Spring Blvd. is one of the most photographed homes in Pinellas County. The 4,064-square-foot dwelling is listed for $1.9 million. 

It was restored in 1978 when owner Donald Scholl removed all the interior to the exterior walls, put in new insulation, new wiring, plumbing, drywall and plaster, according to the listing. 

“He did a lot of work in redoing and modernizing the kitchen, downstairs area, and the bathrooms updated but was able to keep the home’s charm,” Coldwell Banker Realty listing agent Renee Gialousis said. 

She explained the owner, a longtime boater, is moving to a different home in Tarpon Springs located directly on a body of water. 

An iron gate runs along the 0.33-acre property. 

There’s a wraparound porch and a wood-decked patio in the backyard that the owner added. 

The four-bedroom home, which is said to be one of the oldest frame houses in the county, has 37 different hardwood floors and ceiling ascents such as burl pine and cypress. 

The former dining room in the Crescent House. 

“The architecture is so ornate, and they’ve kept the original hardwood floors,” Gialousis said. 

The living and dining rooms share a double-sided fireplace. The second and third floors house the four main bedrooms, a second family room, a loft area, various nooks and spaces and a rooftop aerie. 

Gialousis said some of the bedrooms offer views of the nearby Spring Bayou. 

An aerial of the Crescent Home.