Est. c. 1890 · Inverness, Florida

Historic Crown Court

From a frontier general store to a grand hotel, from crystal chandeliers to compassionate care — 135 years of transformation at 109 North Seminole Avenue.

The Orange Hotel, 1926
The Orange Hotel · c. 1926 · Citrus County Chronicle
Section I

Foundation to Present

A complete chronological history of the building at 109 North Seminole Avenue, from Dampier's general store to VSEVA Crown Court.

c. 1868
Tompkinsville Founded
Alf Tompkins established the settlement. His brother-in-law, Francis Marion Dampier Sr., received a lot to build a store — becoming the town's first merchant. The community was later renamed "Inverness" after the Scottish city.
c. 1890
Dampier's General Store Built
Francis M. Dampier Sr. constructed the first general store in Inverness at the corner of Line and Bay Streets — a modest, single-story wooden structure that would become the seed of everything that followed.
c. 1907
Becomes the Orange Hotel
The building was relocated to Main Street and a second floor added, converting it into a lodging house called the Orange Hotel. It faced Main Street where City Hall now stands.
Feb. 14, 1908
Tommie Lou Waits Marries William Maloy
On Valentine's Day, Tommie Lou married William M. Maloy, a railroad engineer from Vermont. They acquired the Orange Hotel shortly afterward, beginning a nearly 60-year tenure.
1910–1920
A Flourishing Enterprise
Census records show steady growth — from 4 lodgers in 1910 to over 10 boarders by 1920. A travel guide listed services and rates. "Aunt Tom," as she became known, was becoming Citrus County's most successful hotelier.
Early 1920s
The Florida Boom & the Great Move
During the land boom, the hotel was jacked up, split in half, moved around the corner to Seminole Avenue, and placed atop a new first floor — transforming it from 2 to 3 stories. A ballroom was added.
Orange Hotel on Main Street, 1920s
The Orange Hotel on Main Street, before the move. Photo by Mrs. Viola Tooke. — Chronicle, Jan. 23, 1964
1926
Settled at 109 N. Seminole Ave
The hotel reached its permanent location. An addition was built. The Citrus High School banquet was held here. Eva Holden operated a beauty shop and attorney Charles Fitzpatrick kept his office in the building.
1930s–1940s
Depression & Wartime Prosperity
Aunt Tom's steady hand kept the hotel alive through the Depression and thriving through the war. By 1945, she had two guests for every room. Breakfast cost 60 cents; lunch cost 87 cents.
March 1946
"Pooch" the Doorman Mourned
The hotel's beloved dog doorman, who greeted every guest with a wagging tail, was killed by a car. Columnist J.R. Harkreader mourned that entering without Pooch was like arriving in St. Petersburg on a cloudy day.
1959
Aunt Tom Sells After 58 Years
After owning the hotel since age 22, Tommie Lou Scott sold to Lynwood N. Smith of Auburndale. He renamed it the Colonial Hotel — ending the most remarkable era in the building's history.
May 2, 1961
Foreclosure — Mercer Buys for $25,000
After the Colonial Hotel struggled, Leslie Mercer — a retired Dodge dealer from New Hampshire — purchased the hotel on the courthouse steps at a foreclosure sale conducted by County Clerk Cowboy Williams.
Aug. 6, 1964
Sold to the Anttilas
Mr. and Mrs. August J. Anttila of Cortez, Florida — theatrical performers from the Asolo Theatre — purchased the hotel with plans to reopen the famous dining room.
1980
Epicure Investments — $3 Million Renovation
Epicure Investments, led by Reginald Brealey of England, purchased the aging Colonial Hotel and invested $3 million to transform it into a luxury British-style inn called the Crown Hotel.
1981
The Crown Hotel Opens
Churchill's Restaurant opened with Victorian chairs, gold draperies, and crystal chandeliers. The Fox and Hound pub recreated an English village atmosphere. A grand spiral staircase — trucked 450 miles from South Carolina — was installed in one piece.
Oct. 1, 1990
The Sumner Family (Wales) Takes Over
Nigel and Jill Sumner from Wales purchased the hotel for $1 million and moved their family to Inverness. They operated successfully for nearly 12 years.
Nov. 30, 2001
Sold to Dryburg & Hyland
The Sumners sold to Thomas Dryburg and P.C. Hyland, who promised restoration. Within months they had fired staff, antagonized the Rotary Club, and ultimately abandoned the property, taking beef, comforters, and security cameras with them.
April 2003
Foreclosure — Again
Circuit Judge Curtis J. Neal appointed Landcom Hospitality Management of Jacksonville as receiver. The Small Business Loan Source of Houston took possession and auctioned the hotel.
May 3, 2004
Jensen Purchase — Crown Court Born
Cary and Brenda Jensen purchased for $900,000 and spent $200,000 more converting it to Crown Court Assisted Living. The grand staircase and historic character were preserved.
Dec. 2024
Vera Assumes Management
Vera Assisted Living Facilities, Downtown Inverness assumed management and day-to-day operations under a management agreement, ensuring continuity of care for all residents.
Sept. 2025
VSEVA Crown Court — A New Chapter
VSEVA Crown Court LLC acquired the building with a vision to bring the past into the future. Vera Assisted Living Facilities, Downtown Inverness assumed operations under a management agreement, ensuring a seamless transition. The Fox & Hounds Tavern opens as Florida's only speakeasy in senior living. All residents remained through the transition.
Section II

Major Structural Changes

Every significant physical transformation the building has undergone — from single-story wooden store to three-story landmark.

🏗
c. 1890
Original Construction
Single-story wooden general store built at the corner of Line and Bay Streets by Francis M. Dampier Sr. Modest frontier commercial building — Inverness's first general store.
Foundation
📐
c. 1907
First Relocation & Second Floor Added
Building physically moved to Main Street. A full second floor was added, doubling the structure's size and converting it from a store to a two-story hotel. Wrap-around porches installed on both floors.
Relocation + Expansion
🏛
Early–Mid 1920s
The Great Move: 2 Stories Become 3
The most dramatic structural transformation: the entire two-story building was jacked up, split down the middle, moved around the corner from Main Street to Seminole Avenue, and placed on top of a newly constructed concrete first floor — creating a three-story hotel. A large ballroom was added to the complex. The building was significantly expanded in footprint and volume.
Relocation + Vertical Expansion
🧱
1926
Final Addition at Seminole Avenue
An addition was built at the building's permanent location at 109 North Seminole Avenue. The hotel assumed the footprint it largely retains today. Businesses occupied the first floor: a beauty shop, a law office, and the Shangri-La restaurant.
Addition
✨
1980–1981
The $3 Million Crown Hotel Renovation
Epicure Investments conducted a comprehensive renovation: entire building tented for termite fumigation; interior gutted and rebuilt to English-hotel standards; Churchill's dining room, Fox and Hound pub, and antique shop installed; a custom grand spiral staircase (1,000+ man hours, built by Driwood Moulding Co. of Florence, SC) was trucked 450 miles and installed as a single piece; replicas of the British Crown Jewels displayed; building brought up to modern construction and safety codes.
Major Renovation
⚠
2001–2003
Abandonment & Deterioration
Under Dryburg/Hyland ownership, the building suffered neglect. Air conditioning units failed, the kitchen fell into filthy condition, and utilities were nearly disconnected. Landcom Hospitality was appointed as receiver and scrambled to stabilize the property.
Deterioration
🔄
2004
Conversion to Assisted Living Facility
Cary and Brenda Jensen invested $200,000 to convert the 34-room hotel into Crown Court Assisted Living serving approximately 40 residents. Hotel rooms became individual living spaces. The grand spiral staircase and many original architectural features were preserved throughout the conversion.
Use Conversion
🍸
2024–2025
VSEVA Renovation & The Fox & Hounds Tavern
Under VSEVA Crown Court, the building received modernization including advanced health monitoring systems and updated accommodations. The former pub space was reimagined as The Fox & Hounds Tavern — a 1920s speakeasy-inspired venue that is now the only resident-exclusive tavern in senior living in Florida.
Modernization + Heritage Restoration
Section III

The Owners

The individuals and families who shaped the building's destiny across 13 decades of continuous use.

c. 1890 – c. 1914
Francis Marion Dampier Sr.
Founder · First Merchant of Inverness
Alf Tompkins gave his brother-in-law a lot to build a store, making Dampier the town's first merchant. He constructed the general store that would eventually become the Orange Hotel. He laid out the community, naming it Tompkinsville. Around World War I, Dampier sold to a New York hotel syndicate.
~24 yrs
Ownership
Store → Hotel
Transformation
FD
c. 1908 – 1959
Tommie Lou "Aunt Tom" Scott
née Waits · Born Mar. 12, 1875, Hawthorne, FL
Citrus County's most beloved hotelier. Married William M. Maloy on Valentine's Day 1908 and acquired the Orange Hotel shortly after. She orchestrated the dramatic 1920s relocation and expansion, survived the Depression, and ran the hotel with legendary warmth. Her meals were famous statewide: 60-cent breakfasts and 87-cent lunches. She finally sold at approximately age 84 after 58 years of continuous ownership.
~58 yrs
Ownership
$0.60
Breakfast (1957)
2→3 stories
Expansion
The Orange Hotel under Aunt Tom
1959 – 1961
Lynwood N. Smith
Businessman · Auburndale, Florida
Purchased the Orange Hotel from Aunt Tom and renamed it the Colonial Hotel. The timing proved poor — motels with swimming pools were rapidly replacing traditional downtown hotels. The business struggled, and within two years the property faced foreclosure. The plaintiff in the foreclosure was Janie Watts Capell, executrix of Aunt Tom's estate.
~2 yrs
Ownership
Foreclosure
Outcome
LS
1961 – 1964
Leslie D. & Lucille H. Mercer
Retired Dodge Dealer · Nashua, New Hampshire
Purchased the hotel at foreclosure for $25,000 on the courthouse steps, in a sale conducted by County Clerk Cowboy Williams. Mercer hoped to restore the building and reopen the dining room. He operated it for three years before returning to New Hampshire, selling to the Anttilas through Strout Realty.
$25,000
Purchase Price
3 yrs
Ownership
Mercer purchase article
1964 – c. 1980
August J. & Mrs. Anttila
Theatrical Performers · Cortez, Florida
Also owned the Albion Inn in Cortez. Both were accomplished performers — they had played Romeo and Juliet with the Asolo Comedy Festival Company at the Asolo Theatre in Ringling's Museum. Mrs. Anttila was a painter with individual art showings. Mr. Anttila had practiced law for 17 years and served as vice president of the Manatee Players Little Theatre.
~16 yrs
Ownership
Romeo & Juliet
Asolo Theatre
Orange Hotel Sold to Anttilas
1980 – 1990
Epicure Investments, Inc.
Chairman: Reginald Brealey (England) · President: Michael Kovach (Inverness)
A subsidiary of Epicure Holdings, a British company. Brealey had international hospitality experience. They invested $3 million in the most significant renovation in the building's history, transforming it into the Crown Hotel — a 34-room British-style inn with Churchill's Restaurant and the Fox and Hound pub. Architect Frank Kalinski designed the renovation; manager Bob Laing came from Gibraltar. Despite critical acclaim, the hotel lost money. A Buffalo, NY investment firm injected $1 million, but it wasn't enough.
$3M
Renovation
$1.7M
Appraised Value
34
Rooms
Colonial Hotel with SOLD sign, 1980
1990 – 2001
Nigel & Jill Sumner
Private Family · Wales, United Kingdom
Moved their family — including teenage children Caroline and Simon — from Wales to Inverness to operate the Crown Hotel. Purchased for $1 million (despite the $1.7M appraisal). Cut overhead, let go the general manager and chef, kept assistant manager Keitha Stoney. It took them nearly eight years to turn the hotel profitable. When they sold in 2001, Jill later expressed regret, saying the buyers "managed to destroy everything we had worked for" in just nine months.
$1M
Purchase Price
~12 yrs
Ownership
8 yrs
To Profitability
NS
2001 – 2003
Thomas Dryburg & P.C. Hyland
Central Florida · Financed by SBLS ($1.15M loan)
Boasted of hospitality experience including stints at the Four Seasons in Philadelphia. Immediately fired staff, antagonized the Rotary Club, and got into a physical altercation with a 66-year-old coupon-holding customer. Over Labor Day 2002, they vanished — cleaning out the freezer, taking prime cuts of beef, comforters, bar supplies, and security cameras. Inverness police investigated. The court appointed Landcom Hospitality Management as receiver.
~9 mo
Before Abandonment
$1.15M
SBA Loan
DH
2004 – 2024
Cary & Brenda Jensen
Operators of Crown Court Assisted Living
Purchased for $900,000 (despite $1.4M opening bid at auction) and invested $200,000 converting the hotel to Crown Court Assisted Living. The facility served approximately 40 residents and earned praise for its caring staff and unique historic setting. In 2023, they partnered with Vera Healthcare for mobile medical services. Under Erica's Equities, Inc., Cary Jensen served as both administrator and financial officer.
$900K
Purchase Price
~20 yrs
Ownership
~40
Residents
CJ
2024 – Present
VSEVA Crown Court LLC
Owner: Raju Penumatcha
VSEVA Crown Court LLC acquired the property with a singular vision: to bring the past into the future. As the real estate and business owner, VSEVA is the creative force behind the building's ambitious renovation — preserving its 135 years of history while introducing modern amenities, technology-enhanced care, and thoughtful design. Vera Assisted Living Facilities, Downtown Inverness assumed management and day-to-day operations under a management agreement from December 2024, facilitating a seamless transition between seller Erica's Equities, Inc. and buyer VSEVA Crown Court. All residents remained through the transition. Created The Fox & Hounds Tavern — a 1920s speakeasy-inspired venue honoring the original Fox and Hound pub. Operates two Citrus County locations: Inverness Downtown and Pleasant Grove.
2
Locations
Dec. 2024
Operations Start
VS
Section IV

Significant Stories

The moments, characters, and events that defined this building's extraordinary place in Inverness history.

The Great Move
Engineering Marvel
The Great Move: How a Hotel Walked Around the Corner and Grew a Floor
During the Florida land boom of the 1920s, the Orange Hotel underwent one of the most ambitious building relocations in small-town Florida history. The two-story wooden structure was jacked up, split down the center, moved from Main Street around the corner to Seminole Avenue, and reassembled on top of a brand-new concrete first floor — transforming from two stories to three in the process. A large ballroom was added to accommodate the surge of visitors flooding into Citrus County. The feat was accomplished without modern hydraulics, using the timber-frame moving techniques of the era. The building settled at 109 North Seminole Avenue, where it has remained for a century.
Citrus County Chronicle, Jan. 23, 1964 & June 4, 1980 · City of Inverness Historic Structures
Pooch the Doorman
Beloved Mascot · 1946
"Pooch" the Four-Legged Doorman
For years, every guest who arrived at the Orange Hotel was met at the front door by "Pooch" — a friendly dog who served as the hotel's unofficial doorman. His tail-wagging welcome became so much a part of the experience that when Pooch was struck and killed by a car in March 1946, columnist J.R. Harkreader devoted his entire "Maybe I'm Wrong But—" column to mourning the loss. He wrote that entering the hotel without Pooch was like arriving in St. Petersburg on a cloudy day — technically the same place, but missing something essential.
Citrus County Chronicle, March 14, 1946, p. 7
Vacationland ad
Loyalty · 1963
Mrs. Nash: 27 Winters in the Same Hotel
In January 1963, the Chronicle profiled Mrs. Nash of Jonesboro, Arkansas, who had been returning to the Orange Hotel for 27 consecutive years. She and her husband had stumbled upon Inverness while driving from Clearwater, drawn in by the delicious food and warm atmosphere. She recalled the golden days when Aunt Tom had to turn away hundreds of guests each winter. Despite the hotel's decline under newer owners, Mrs. Nash kept returning — a testament to the loyalty the building inspired.
Citrus County Chronicle, Jan. 17, 1963, p. 12
Churchill's Restaurant
Grand Staircase · 1981
The Spiral Staircase That Traveled 450 Miles
When Epicure Investments transformed the Colonial Hotel into the Crown Hotel, they commissioned the Driwood Moulding Company of Florence, South Carolina, to build a grand spiral staircase. Craftsman Gelzer — a former U.S. Air Force pilot — periodically flew his twin-engine Navajo airplane to the rural Inverness Airport to oversee the project. His team of artists worked over 12 weeks (more than 1,000 man hours) to build the one-of-a-kind staircase. Once complete, it was loaded onto a truck and transported nearly 450 miles to Inverness, where it was installed in a single piece in the hotel lobby. Brides descended it at their weddings. It still stands today — a testament to craftsmanship that has endured through every change of ownership and use.
The Crown Hotel Blog by Larry LaFond · Citrus County Chronicle, Dec. 25, 1987
Scandal · 2002
The Owners Who Vanished Over Labor Day
When Thomas Dryburg and P.C. Hyland purchased the Crown Hotel from the Sumners in November 2001, they promised restoration. Instead, they fired staff before Christmas, ran off the Rotary Club, and got into a shouting match that turned physical with a 66-year-old woman holding a dinner coupon. Over Labor Day weekend 2002, they disappeared entirely — taking prime cuts of beef from the freezer, all their comforters, bar supplies, and expensive security cameras. As the Tampa Bay Times noted: "You don't have to be TV's CSI team to see that this is a one-way trip." The building was left staggering, with unpaid bills and bewildered employees asking police if they should padlock the doors.
Tampa Bay Times, Sept. 8 & 15, 2002 · The Crown Hotel Blog
Legacy · 1986–1992
The Teenager Who Preserved the Crown's Memory
Larry LaFond began working at the Crown Hotel as a teenager in 1986 and stayed until 1992. Decades later, from California, he compiled an exhaustive blog — thecrownhotel.blogspot.com — with photographs, newspaper clippings, ownership records, and personal memories. His work has become the single most comprehensive source on the building's history and has been cited by the Chronicle, the City of Inverness, and researchers. Without his dedication, much of this story would have been lost.
The Crown Hotel Blog by Larry LaFond (thecrownhotel.blogspot.com)
Revival · 2024–2025
"Bring the Past Into the Future"
When the Citrus County Chronicle asked how the new ownership's technology-driven vision would honor a 135-year-old building, the answer was direct: bring the past into the future. Under VSEVA Crown Court, with Vera Assisted Living Facilities managing operations, the building that once hosted Churchill's Restaurant now houses The Fox & Hounds Tavern — Florida's only speakeasy-style venue within senior living. The grand staircase still stands. The walls still hold over a century of Inverness history. And residents now live where winter visitors once checked in, where brides once descended the stairs, and where a dog named Pooch once greeted everyone who walked through the door.
Citrus County Chronicle, Sept. 25, 2025
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