4 N Broad Street

The History

This structure was built in 1915 by James A. Jennings. He served as sheriff from 1885 to 1888, was the first president of the Hernando State Bank, and was Chairman of the County Commission. He was notably the cousin of William Sherman Jennings, Brooksville resident, who served as the 18th Governor of Florida.

In 1914, the original Jennings Building (which had been owned by both Jennings and Chelf) and the other buildings on this block had been destroyed by fire. The fire was a particular threat at the turn of the 20th century since it quickly consumed dry timber homes and businesses. Fire fighting depended almost entirely on the skill of the bucket brigade; at the turn of the 20th century, the City of Brooksville had no central water supply. The fire alarm at that time consisted of an old circular saw and a large mallet hung from a post on the courthouse square. 

The existing two-story brick masonry building retains much of its original architectural character and falls into the category of a “Mesker Storefront,” most commonly seen in the American Midwest. Observe the many cast-iron features like the original decorative cast-iron pilasters made by George L. Mesker & Company in Evansville, Indiana surrounding the recessed entry storefronts along two sides of the building. Original prism glass windows (now replaced with clear glass) hung from the rosettes in the cast iron band. Coupled with a metal canopy above the storefront windows, this style allowed light to enter deep into the interior space while still providing shade. Note the cast-iron plate at the corner of Main and Broad. The flat parapet features simple corbelling and windows are set singly and in pairs with concrete sills and simple corbelled brick hoods above. And take a peek at the “Rexall Store” floor tile from when Roy N. Chelf operated his drug store.

The Jennings Building originally featured a drug store, dentist, general store, barbershop, restaurant, and pool hall. This building has been home to many businesses over the years- most notably- Maillis Grocery.

"George Maillis, who had the grocery, probably, to me, might've been the most important man that ever lived in Brooksville. During the Depression, people had no money and they did trading. When he closed his stores the people owed him over millions of dollars. He never beefed the first time. Never made an issue." - Bobby Snow

"George Maillis, who ran the store, was one of the finest people I ever knew. He carried a lot of people's credit that I don't think ever got paid for. But he'd always help people out. Back then they had four cinnamon rolls in a package and these hobos come through and George would always give them a pack of cinnamon rolls and a cold drink. Now, that might not have been the best food in the world, but it'd fill them up. I guess word got out among the hobos and a lot of them came through and George Maillis always gave them something." - Eddie McIntyre 

CITATIONS/CREDIT: Historic Brooksville Train Depot, “These People They Are Brooksville,” Tampa Bay Times, “At the Forefront of Storefronts: Frank, Ben, and George Mesker” National Park Service website, “Hernando County The Sheriffs,” Old Brooksville in Photos and Stories, January 2008,  Vol. 68