Lear-Rocheblave House

Located at 214 East Zaragoza Street, in Historic Pensacola Village, the Lear-Rocheblave House is a two-story Folk Victorian structure with wood-frame clapboard siding and ornamental Queen Anne design elements.

The house is named for John and Kate Lear, who built the home in 1890, but divorced without having lived in it, and Benito and Catherine Rocheblave who resided there from 1897 to 1910. John Lear was a stevedore and Benito Rocheblave a tug-boat captain who delivered guns and ammunition to Cuba during the Spanish-American War. After the Rocheblave's sold the home, it became a boarding house.

Buried beneath the house are the remains of features associated with an eighteenth-century British fort. Archaeological excavations revealed both a well and a building on the site, the latter labeled a "government house" on historical maps.

A late Victorian structure set atop a colonial era archaeological site, the Lear-Rocheblave house embodies the colorful and many-layered history on display in Historic Pensacola Village.

This podcast made possible through the generous support of University of West Florida Historic Trust. Script written by Vickie Lindsey and Amber Sherouse. Narrated by Dave Dunwoody.