History of The Sapp House
Joshua Mercer Sapp (1878-1971) moved to Panama City from Washington County in 1912 to join Judge J. R. Wells as a partner in his law firm. He became a very prominent attorney and an outstanding citizen of the city. He brought with him his new wife, Ella Mae Patton of Apalachicola. The couple had two sons, Herbert Patton and Howard William.
After
the
Sapp
Family
The property was sold by the Sapp Estate to the Bay County Commissioners in 1976 and was intended to serve as a law library for the county.
In 1987 after attempts to relocate the home, the county leased the property to a non-profit, Alive: The Alternative, Inc. Alive used the home to provide a safe refuge for expecting mothers in need and also operated a popular family-style lunch restaurant called “The Boarding House.”
In 1997 the county commission voted not to renew the lease agreement with Alive and forced the group to vacate the property. At that time, the county intended to demolish The Sapp House so the property could be utilized for additional parking.
Due to local media coverage, the community became aware of the threat of losing the home and managed to save it due to public outcry. With Alive forced from home, The Sapp House was abandoned and vacant for over four years. During this time, the historic home fell into severe disrepair and continued to be threatened by demolition before the county decided to consider selling the property.
J.M. Sapp was named one of the early municipal judges for the newly incorporated city of Panama City. In addition to his general law practice, Judge Sapp served as a Bay County prosecuting attorney from 1915-21. He was chosen as the city attorney for St. Andrews in 1908, when it was incorporated, and again for Millville when it was incorporated in 1913. Judge Sapp served Bay County in the Florida House of Representatives for two terms, 1931-34. While serving in the Florida Legislature, he steered a bill through the House granting 15 years of ad valorem tax relief to the International Paper Company. This was one of the incentives that assisted with bringing the industry to Bay County.
Mary “Lauren” Ayers DeGeorge
(1948-2019)
“I’m trying to save old structures here, that’s our heritage.”
These were words from the late Lauren DeGeorge to News-Herald reporter Kendall Middlemas in 1998 as she awaited approval from the Board of County Commissioners to purchase the Sapp House.
“I’m on a campaign for not tearing that down for ten parking spaces,” she continued. This campaign would last until March 30, 2001, when DeGeorge finally was awarded the opportunity to purchase the property from the county as the highest and most patient for $60,000. As part of the sale, multiple restrictions and covenants were inserted in the Deed requiring DeGeorge to restore and maintain the property as a historical site and provided the county with a Right of First Refusal in the event of a future sale.
For three years, “I’ve done nothing but work on this house in my spare time,” DeGeorge told Brady Calhoun in a follow-up interview in late 2003. She gave the house new windows, refinished the floors and walls, added fresh paint, and decorated it with period furniture.
DeGeorge also fulfilled her commitment to the County by ensuring the house was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is also of note that while living in the Sapp House, DeGeorge served as Mayor of Panama City from 2005-2007.
Hurricane Michael
On October 10, 2018, category five Hurricane Michael ravaged most of Bay County and ripped through Downtown Panama City. Many trees, including age-old oaks and towering pines, were maimed if not completely uprooted.
Hardly any building was left untouched and many were destroyed. But The Sapp House stood tall on its century-old foundation. While it suffered significant damage to its roof, chimneys, windows, soffits, and doors the bones of this beautiful home and its large neighboring oak remained.
Had it not been for the efforts by Lauren DeGeorge’s family to secure the home immediately after the storm it may have fallen into an insurmountable state of disrepair. Although the home was temporarily saved its future was still uncertain. Mrs. DeGoeorge passed months later and her family decided to sell the home.
Restoration
Three local families, Allan Branch, Chris Cramer, and Kevin Wattenbarger, decided to take on the restoration project and contracted to purchase The Sapp House in the summer of 2019. Their intended purchase required approval from the Board of Bay County Commissioners and a waiver of their right of first refusal. Initially, the county intended to exercise its right of first refusal and also wanted to purchase the property. Bay County’s purchase of The Sapp House was placed as a consent item on the agenda for the August 6th, 2019, meeting of the Board of Bay County Commissioner. The county intended to repurchase The Sapp House property to assist with the county’s goal to provide additional parking to the courthouse. Once it became public that the County intended to “raze” the historic house for additional parking, again, the local community-at-large expressed an overwhelming desire to preserve The Sapp House. Before the commission meeting, a tremendous amount of public support came from social media and direct outreach to the commissioners. The Bay County Commissioners unanimously agreed with the community, and the three families were ultimately able to purchase the property in late March 2020. They immediately began work to preserve and restore the historic Sapp House.
Kevin Wattenbarger spearheaded the restoration project with great assistance from his brother Scott and several other gifted hands. The scope of work included a new roof, repaired chimneys, repaired rafter tails, repaired and replaced siding, completed exterior paint, replaced window glass, interior sheetrock repair, and replacement, remodeled kitchen with new hardwood floors modernized all bathrooms, new plumbing and electrical including tankless water heater and a gorgeous $60,000 landscaping arrangement that includes many new trees, lighting, and pavered back porch. Seven months later and with aid from the City of Panama City CRA, the home was ready to once again be a “gathering spot” and for its guests to enjoy a “breeze off the bay.”
New Beginnings….
Bob and Karrie Bradshaw took over full operations of The Sapp House in December 2023. In addition to The Sapp House, they own The Celebration Place, a wedding and event rental company in Panama City. Karrie and her team are excited to serve Bay County and surrounding areas in all aspects of celebrations!