PRESERVATION
It was the home of one of Fort
Pierce’s first doctors and one of
Florida’s most famous artists.
After being refurbished, it will
house the organization that is
helping to revive downtown
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STORY AND PHOTOS BY SUSAN BURGESS
Every time a hurricane hit, angry foaming waves
washed silt between the piers under the 1896 Platts
house, until finally, you could no longer stand up
under it and the floor sloped up toward the fireplace.
By the time artist A.E. “Bean” Backus bought it in 1960
and moved in, it had a decided tilt inside.
Silt wasn’t the only problem, its newest owners discovered
in May 2007. Termites had been feasting on hidden timbers
for years, making the old wooden home, bought by Main
Street Fort Pierce in 2005, unstable.
When contractor Greg Lewis from Conkling & Lewis
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HISTORY
HOUSE
MAIN STREET FORT PIERCE
The Platts/Backus house, as it is now known, was the 1896 home of Fort Pierce’s first doctor, young Clyde Phillips Platts, and his wife, Clara. It became
the home of acclaimed landscape artist A.E. “Bean” Backus on April 21, 1960. Main Street Fort Pierce bought it on June 23, 2005, and began restorations
in May 2007. Main Street has raised $600,000 for the project. The grand opening is planned for May 7, 2008.