The 1892 Bryant House on East Fort King Street Has Weathered Storm After Storm. Now Its Caretakers Are Asking Ocala for Help

Storm after storm has hit the house at 712 East Fort King Street, and the people who work inside it say the damage can no longer wait. Built in 1892, the Bryant House is the headquarters of the Historic Ocala Preservation Society, and the group is now asking the community to help pay to keep it standing. Its campaign is called "Bring Back the Bryant House."

The nonprofit describes the house as "currently in dire need of structural repairs and restoration." The group's campaign page says successive hurricanes and severe weather have battered the aging structure and that, without immediate repairs, Ocala risks losing "this piece of its history for good."

A house that has stood since 1892

According to HOPS, the Bryant House has stood at the center of Ocala's history for well over a century. The society says the residence carries a direct connection to Farris Bryant, who served as the 34th governor of Florida from 1961 to 1965.

Today the house is far more than an old address. It is where HOPS keeps its local historical archives, hosts community gatherings and runs its preservation advocacy across Marion County. HOPS dates its first achievement to 1980, when the City of Ocala proposed widening SE Wenona Avenue, threatening historic homes; neighborhood residents in the Wenona Association and the Ocala Women's Club opposed the plan, and a petition drive and public hearing defeated it. Its stated mission is to "discover, conserve, preserve and memorialize" the history and architecture of Ocala and Marion County, with a focus on buildings and neighborhoods from the 1880s to the 1940s.

What the repairs involve

HOPS has laid the work out in five phases, beginning with the most urgent. First comes stabilization of the second floor, structural reinforcement to secure the upper level. After that come foundation repairs, restoration of the storm-damaged historic porch, repairs to windows throughout the house (many of them original), and sealing of the exterior to guard against future weather damage.

The society says the phased approach is deliberate: starting with emergency stabilization and moving on to full exterior and window restoration lets donors see the direct effect of their gifts. HOPS has not published a dollar goal or a cost estimate for the work.

How readers can help

The campaign page says online gifts, made through the HOPS donation page, are tax-deductible. Donations run through the payment platform Zeffy, which adds an optional contribution for the platform itself. HOPS notes that donors can set that amount to zero by choosing "Other" in the dropdown and entering 0.

There are other ways to pitch in. HOPS asks supporters to share campaign updates, memories and photos on social media with the hashtag #bringbackthebryant. It also encourages local merchants and corporate sponsors to offer donation matching or host benefit events.

The house is open by appointment. HOPS asks visitors to email hops_admin@historicocala.org to schedule a tour, or call 352-484-0502. For more of the area, see our downtown Ocala guide, the list of historical sites in Ocala, the story of Ocala's history and the museums in Ocala.

Sources: Historic Ocala Preservation Society campaign, about and donation pages (historicocala.org). Read Nov. 10, 2026.