LIVING HISTORY
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Evans Crary Sr., seen in this 1945 photo, served as Florida speaker of the House.
making process required to get the building on the
road to a new location. The city commission had to
be convinced that the project was a good idea.
SAVING THE HOUSE
City Commissioner Mary Hutchinson and City
Manager Dan Hudson led that charge, finally
persuading Mayor Mike Mortell, who originally
questioned the wisdom of the undertaking. Mortell
eventually signed on and proved to be an important
player. He negotiated a lease of the house to
Congressman Tom Rooney, who is using it for his
Stuart office.
According to Hudson, “The commission envisioned
the house serving as a politician’s office
from the very beginning because of its history.”
That political history began in 1936, the year
Evans Crary Sr., bought the house and was elected
to the Florida Legislature. Crary, who lived in the
house until his death in 1968, was a legislator until
1954, becoming speaker of the House in 1945 and
moving to the Senate a year later. He represented
the 12th Senate District as the first senator for St.
Lucie, Martin and Indian River counties.
FAMILY RESEARCH
Crary grandson William Frederick “Rick” Crary,
is the family historian, and he has made the preservation
of “Crary House” even more meaningful by
compiling and sharing his memories and research.
The house is significant, not only because it was his >>
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