THE E.J. STOKES HOUSE

This house was built in 1906 by Edward Jacob and Georgia Ophelia Stokes. This one-story frame structure with Queen Anne Cottage architectural elements embodies a residential building style popular in northern Florida between 1880 and 1910. Its Queen Anne styling is expressed by a flat hip roof, a cross-gable, front-facing gables, bay windows, and a veranda. Fenestration consists of double-hung windows. The exterior wall fabric is drop siding. The chimneys were constructed from masonry furnished by the local brick factory in Chipley, which is identified by its distinctive light and pinkish-gray coloration. With few alterations, the building has retained most of its architectural integrity. E.J. Stokes (1850-1922) was born in Charlton County, Georgia. Moving to Florida at the turn of the 20th century, he was a pioneer settler in Washington County engaged as a naval stores merchant in the local turpentine business. For years, the Stokeses were the unofficial hosts for visitors travelling through Chipley. This house stands as a testament to the prosperity brought to the surrounding area during the 19th and early 20th centuries, when Chipley was considered the world’s largest inland shipping center for naval stores.