It's been well over a century since Pasco County residents were hung by the neck at the area's local jail. But since then, the building has been transformed into a vacation rental, and now it's ready for a new owner.
Located at 37739 Robinson Ave., the jail was built between 1892 and 1893 and is believed to be the oldest brick structure in Dade City.
Early records from the jail's heyday are unclear, but according to a 1999 article in the St. Petersburg Times, the building witnessed at least three hangings of convicted criminals from its open-air gallows between 1913-1924.
The jail was also the site of a tragic mob lynching involving a Black man named William Leak, who was awaiting trial after being accused of raping a girl in Trilby.
"A group of 18 to 20 masked men shoved a shotgun under the jailer's chin. When the deputy refused to hand over the keys to the cell, the mob broke the lock and hauled Leak from the jail," wrote the paper. "They found him the next day hanging from an oak tree in front of Trilby's barber shop. No one was ever charged with the murder."
In the 1920s, after Florida Gov. Fuller Warren banned public hangings, the open-air gallows area of jail was enclosed with brick walls, and is now part of the indoor layout of the structure.
The jail was put out of commission in the 1930s, and has since been home to a sheet metal shop, an insurance agency, a law office, and most recently a vacation rental that fetches upwards of $750 per night.
Many of the jail's holding cells have been converted into functional livable spaces, and according to the listing the 3,312-square-foot building now features six bedrooms and four bathrooms, as well as a large kitchen.
Notably, the jail also still has a few key historic details in place, like the original steel bars on the windows, as well the original cypress beams along the ceilings.
The jail is currently asking $1.25 million and the listing agent is Jim O'Brien with Coastal Brokerage & Investment.
