824 South Orleans Avenue - Lana and Kevin Phillips

This 1900 gem was once home to Donald Brenham McKay, a notable and beloved Tampa leader of the day. He served as Tampa’s mayor starting in 1910, then on and off until 1924. He also owned and published the Tampa Tribune. U.S. President Woodrow Wilson appointed McKay to serve as chairman of the President’s Advisory Committee for Southwest Florida. He was a man famous for his fairness, and he and his wife raised their seven children here.

This month marks the one-year anniversary of the Phillips family moving in! They found this incredibly special property by luck three years ago. They were moving from New York and had their hearts set on Hyde Park. Even though they were eyeing the Morrison House on S Newport, their agent called them on Zoom and walked them through this home. “We were out of the country, but we said: We’ll take it!’”

This magnificent residence has many qualities of the Grand Orleans Center Hall Cottage Style: a deep front porch, a substantial main hallway that connects rooms, super tall ceilings, and ornate details like Greek or Italianate columns. But because of its relatively high and dry location, the sandy soil beneath it had turned to fine dust over the years and the exterior walls were sinking. The Phillipses spent a year fixing the foundation. They installed new concrete pillars and steel beams and cranked up the house to level it out! “It’ll be stable for at least 100 years, I hope,” says Lana.

Then came the peeling back of layers. So much termite damage forced them to rip everything out and rebuild it all (to its original form) from scratch. 

When it came time to fill the home, Oxford Exchange helped the family find most of the modern-classic furniture. The point was to blend timeless antiques and family treasures with newer pieces. Lana wanted it to feel fresh and updated but to also maintain loads of character. 

The rich and layered library is a favorite room. This is where the kids often do homework, and where they play family games. They really appreciate that every room on the first floor has access to porches—it creates a fabulous flow for parties. They open all the doors and people come and go as they please. Lana and Kevin also added the big kitchen and family room on the back, and all of the wonderful outdoor eating and sitting areas. “The outdoor family room just outside gets just as much action as the indoor family room,” says Lana. “It was all worth the wait.”