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Dorr House is
located in Pensacola, Florida at 311 South Adams Street, circa 1871. Built by
Clara Barkley Dorr, the widow of a lumber tycoon, Dorr House is a unique example
of Greek Revival architecture. The house is completely furnished with fine
antiques from the 1850's to the 1890's. Clara Barkley married Eben Walker Dorr
in 1849. His father, Ebeneezer Dorr was the first sheriff of Escambia County
when Florida became a state in 1821. As sheriff, he arrested Jonathon Walker for
slave stealing. John Greenleaf Whittier immortalized the affair in "The
Branded Hand", one of his series of antislavery poems. Eben’s
grandfather, William, is reported to have ridden with Paul Revere on his famous
ride, etching the Dorr name in history.
Tour guides have reported moving items only to find them moved back to their
original location when they return. It is speculated that it might be one of
several Dorr children, one of whom died at a young age. It might also be Clara
Dorr. It has also been reported that people have seen a woman like figure
sitting in the fainting chair at the top of the stairs and it's speculated that
the figure is Clara Dorr. The fainting chair got its name because at the time,
women would wear corsets and walking up a flight of stairs would leave them a
bit short of breath, hence a chair for the lady to sit until such time that she
could resume normal breathing.
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