Thank you for your interest in this historic property. We hope you’ll choose to host your event at The DeLand House on Main. We are confident that our convenient location, newly renovated spaces and professional planning experience will ensure a successful event for your guests.
Cheers,
Kim Rose & Lindsay Feeley
Owners of The DeLand House on Main
DeLand House & Family History
Henry DeLand & Cap Sheaf Baking Soda
Henry DeLand began his career at the age of 19 as a salesman for DeLand Chemical Works, operated by his older brother Daniel, in the village of Fairport on the banks of the Erie Canal. The company was best known for producing Cap Sheaf Baking Soda; at one point one of the bestselling brands of baking soda in the country. Henry became General Manager of the company responsible for supervising the sales of Cap Sheaf Baking Soda throughout the country
After his brother Daniel passed away in 1872, Henry took on the role of President of the company and in 1874 their annual sales reached $517,000 (approximately $12 million in today’s dollars).
DeLand House
In 1864, Henry married Sarah Parce and they had two children, Harland and Helen. In 1874, Sarah and Henry built their DeLand home on the corner of Main and Church streets in the village of Fairport.
The French Chateau style building included 34 rooms and cost $50,000 to build, making it the costliest of private dwellings in town. It remains one of the most recognizable landmarks in the village of Fairport today.
DeLand Home Through The Years
The DeLand home has had several different owners throughout the 20th Century. In 1902 it was purchased by Warren Clark followed by Victor Holmes of Copenhagen in 1910. In 1925 it was purchased by Florence Haber who renovated the mansion to become the Green Lantern Inn with first class appointed rooms and ballroom on the third floor for dinner and dancing parties. The first floor was opened as a restaurant and in 1933 when Prohibition was repealed, a tap room was added.
In 1950 the building was sold to Sam Gottry, owner of Gottry Carting and Dick McCarthy who sold it to Jack O’Neill and Ray Placious in 1954. They are responsible for the addition of banquet facilities in 1964 and when Jack retired in 1980. the building’s operations were turned over to his son Terry O’Neill. The same year the building was listed on the Registry of Historic Places.
From 2004 until 2014 The Green Inn was opened and operated by Matthew and Stephanie Lawrence. They opened the very highly rated The Cellar Door Restaurant in the lower level of the building in 2011. In 2014 the building was sold and became Dominic’s on Main.
Coming full circle, the Green Lantern Inn has been renamed the DeLand House on Main and will feature a full bar with light fare on the lower level called Main and Vine. The remaining venue will be offered as private event spaces.
Additional DeLand History
The architect of the DeLand house is John Rochester Thomas a well-known architect from Rochester NY. Largely known as one of the most prolific designers of public and semi-public names he designed several churches in the area.
Indoor plumbing was installed when the house was built making it one of the first houses in the area to have such modern conveniences. Rainwater was collected in the eave’s gutters and stored in a basement cistern and then pumped to a storage tank in the attic to provide running water.
DeLand and his family provided a significant amount of funding for the construction of the First Baptist Church. It has been rumored that there is an underground tunnel connecting the DeLand home to the Church, however there is not a tunnel, nor evidence that one has ever existed.
In 1876 Henry DeLand moved to Persimmon Florida where he invested heavily in Florida real estate and leased property to orange growers. He unfortunately lost his fortune to a crop freeze in 1892.
In 1883 Henry established DeLand University. Due to his lost crop fortune the endowment was taken over by John B. Stetson and is known today as Stetson University. Persimmon Florida was renamed DeLand, Florida due to Henry’s prominent benefactor in founding the University.
In 1893, a disastrous fire leveled the Cap Sheaf Baking Soda Factory. The company did rebuild, but due to increased competition and rising costs, it was not able to sustain itself and closed in 1903.