KATHLEEN, Fla. — A piece of Polk County history is now gone.
A historic farmhouse known to many as the “Old Tucker Home” burned to the ground Tuesday night.
WATCH: Fire destroys historic 'Old Tucker Home' erasing piece of Polk County history
The home, which stood for more than a century, was considered a local landmark, and for many in the Kathleen community, the loss is deeply personal.
“It was a big home for a family back then. It was a big family. A lot of big families are farm families,” said James Mangus.
The Old Tucker Home has been part of Mangus’ life for as long as he can remember. His parents bought the home when he was seven-years-old.
“I played around this thing when I was a kid. You know, other kids lived in it. Other people lived in it at one time. That was nothing I wanted to see happen,” said Mangus.
Shortly after 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, Polk County Fire Rescue responded to flames tearing through the historic structure on Kathleen Road and west Campbell Road. The home was vacant, and no one was hurt.
Mangus said the Old Tucker Home became more than just an old farmhouse.
“I’ve had people take their wedding pictures up here, graduation pictures, any number of events. They just call me so I can be around here. So, they can stand in front of it or beside it, and they can get their pictures,” said Mangus.
Built around 1900, the home carried deep historical roots.
According to the Kathleen Area Historical Society, the residence was first owned by Joseph W. Tucker and his wife, Martha Hancock Tucker. They raised four children there. Martha was a descendant of one of the area's pioneering families.
“They were married in 1878, and he was a telegraph operator in Kathleen for a while before going on to become a minister at Kathleen Baptist Church,” said Lois Sherrouse-Murphy, President of Kathleen Area Historical Society.
Sherrouse-Murphy said preserving the home would have been costly and ultimately, not feasible.
After surviving more than 100 years, the Old Tucker Home is now reduced to rubble. But its history is preserved through photographs and memories.
“Pride in place that we all share, and the Tucker home was part of that,” said Sherrouse-Murphy.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
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