Casa De Josefina, Historic residence near Lake Wales, Florida, United States.
Casa De Josefina is an E-shaped house near Lake Wales, Florida, with a corner tower and a rear porch linking rooms in its three wings. It is built of stucco-covered coquina in an eclectic Florida Boom style mixing Spanish, Italian and Gothic elements, and stands on 18 acres.
A banker named Irwin Arthur Yarnell built the house in 1923 and named it after his wife Josephine. The building later served as a convalescent home, boarding house, and community center before being registered as a historic site.
The name honours Josephine Yarnell, wife of builder Irwin Arthur Yarnell, and her name appears in the stained-glass grillwork above the front door, with her profile carved on a parapet. The couple hosted lavish parties until the 1926 Florida bust and the 1929 crash ruined them. Josephine lived here until 1967 and never confirmed the haunting stories she let stand to keep trespassers away.
The house stands two miles southeast of Lake Wales, off U.S. 27, on 18 acres. The three wings are linked by a rear porch, and the corner tower is the easiest landmark to spot from the drive. The grounds are private and sometimes mistaken for a hotel, so view the exterior from the road.
A stained glass window above the main entrance displays the name Josephine and marks the connection between the house and its original resident. This artistic detail is often the first thing visitors notice when entering the property.
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