January 2005 - 121 Mosswood Rd.

Ken Watson sat comfortably on his porch while watching Hurricane Jeanne pass through Lakeland last September. He knew Mosswood had survived several prior hurricanes. Jeanne, however, did extensive damage to the second floor by pulling up the tin roof and allowing water to seep through. He also lost his only three oak trees and much of his landscaping. He took it all in stride though. After all, a hurricane in the mid-1920s blew down 75 trees in the Mosswood original complex. Watson told me he looks forward to replacing the tin roof, rebuilding all the porches and painting the interior and exterior of the home in 2005. In fact, the exterior of the glorious 3-story Victorian will be painted in the more typical ?painted lady? style with five different colors. Mosswood today overlooks Lake Morton and is located on the corner of Tennessee Avenue and Mosswood Road. Considered the oldest standing residence in Lakeland, the mansion was built in 1904 by Norman A. Riggins (1858-1941) with wood imported by train from Virginia. Mosswood is as distinctive for its interesting history as for its two ¾ round balconies, original wavy glass windows, ginger bread detailing and 3rd-story turret. Mosswood was built on the plot of land across Tennessee Avenue where the Lake Morton Community Church now stands. The original complex included the boathouse, converted into the pavilion now standing on Lake Morton; the 4,900 square-foot Victorian mansion; tennis courts, the first open to the public in Lakeland; a windmill with a water tank; a cow lot and chicken pen; a citrus grove; a bamboo patch; a washhouse and a 2-story garage. The home has since moved twice - first up the hill to make room for Lake Morton Drive in the teens and second to its current location in the fifties. When the current owners Watson and Ray Oliver purchased the home in March of 1988, Mosswood had been converted into four apartments, two up and two down. Since that time, Watson and Oliver have been painstakingly restoring the home to its original single-residence floor plan. They have removed walls, door frames, bathrooms and kitchens. In his search to restore the home, Watson found the original tiger oak and pine mantel from the parlor in the 2003 Darracott estate sale. Watson hopes to restore it to the parlor fireplace once the main central fireplace is rebuilt. Long-range plans include turning the mansion into a Bed & Breakfast with the main floor rooms available for receptions and parties, and a honeymoon suite on the third floor. But there may be a ghost already in residence on the third floor. The only person who died in the home was Mrs. Sallie Riggins, wife to Norman. Several neighbors have told Watson that they've seen a young woman standing in the window of the 3rd-story turret. Watson's son, Tony, and his friends have seen a sturdy rocker on the third floor rocking by itself and Watson himself has heard sounds from the third floor like that of a chair being moved across the floor. However, he has never seen anyone. According to Watson, "if there's a ghost here, it's a good presence. Mrs. Riggins loved her home." For more information about Mosswood, you can find Mosswood Remembered written by Margaret D. Pinkston at our local library.