Est. 1890 · Old East Hill · Pensacola, Florida
The Old Spanish Consulate
Built in 1890, restored in 2014, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this Queen Anne compound of twelve suites and thirteen and a half baths wraps a heated saltwater courtyard in Pensacola's Old East Hill.
Showings by appointment only · 7,574 sq ft
- 7,574
- square feet
- 12
- suites
- 13.5
- private baths
- 0.31
- acre compound
- 1890
- year built
- Five-star
- Airbnb Superhost
The story
A house that once held a consulate
714 E La Rua Street is a nationally registered Queen Anne Victorian estate in Pensacola's Old East Hill Preservation District. Built in 1890, it served as the Spanish Consulate during the Spanish-American War, which is how it earned the name The Old Spanish Consulate. After a meticulous restoration in 2014 and a National Register listing in 2016, the compound now operates as a five-star short-term rental with twelve suites across two matched structures.
The house was built for Louis D. Marzoni, chief lumber inspector for lumber baron Henry Baars, at the height of the city's yellow-pine boom. Its interior woodwork came from the Baars mills, and by 1900 the three-story house had doubled in size, crowned by an octagonal tower. During the Spanish-American War of 1898 the residence served as the Spanish Consulate in Pensacola, while Baars' own house a few doors away acted as the Austrian-Hungarian consulate. Marzoni lived here until his death in 1907.
In the decades that followed, the grand house softened into disrepair, as century-old East Hill homes sometimes do. A loving restoration in 2014 returned the stairways, the stained glass, and the carved trim to their original voice, and on May 10, 2016 the house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Marzoni House. Today it carries two names: the Marzoni House on the register, and the Old Spanish Consulate to everyone who has ever stayed.
"This is not a standard income property. It is a legacy asset: a historic destination with strong, documented short-term rental revenue, scarce supply characteristics, and a compelling upside narrative for buyers."
No. 01 · The consulate staircase
No. 02 · The compound, from above
The estate
Two houses, one courtyard
This is not a single historic house; it is a small campus. A three-story main house with a turret suite and a fourth-floor loft stands beside a detached carriage house, and between them a sunken courtyard holds a heated saltwater pool and an infinity spa. In all: 7,574 square feet, twelve suites, and thirteen and a half baths on a 0.31-acre lot in one of Florida's most protected historic districts.
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The main house
Three stories of parlors, dining rooms, and suites, crowned by the octagonal turret with its own bedroom and a fourth-floor loft.
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The carriage house
A detached, fully matched structure wrapped around the courtyard, adding suites and private baths a few steps from the pool.
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The courtyard
A heated saltwater pool, an infinity spa with a cascading stone waterfall, and terraces shaded by palms within tall hedges.
The courtyard
Saltwater, stone, and sunset
The courtyard is the heart of the compound. The carriage house wraps the heated saltwater pool on three sides; the infinity spa spills a stone waterfall into the deep end. By evening the lights come up, the palms throw long shadows across the terraces, and the whole estate turns into one warm, private room.
No. 03 · The courtyard at dusk
No. 04 · The kitchens
No. 05 · The soaking baths
No. 06 · Stained glass
No. 07 · The tower stair
The opportunity
A legacy asset with proven income
The estate operates today as an Airbnb Five-Star Superhost income-generating property with strong, documented short-term rental revenue. Its scarcity is structural: National Register income properties on the Gulf Coast are vanishingly rare, twelve-suite compounds rarer still, and a twelve-suite compound inside a working five-star hospitality operation, rarer again.
For buyers who see the convergence of architectural scarcity, proven hospitality demand, and Pensacola's accelerating coastal tourism market, this is less a house than a thesis. Cynthia can walk you through the operating history, the two structures, and the upside narrative in one private sitting.
5-star
Superhost record
12
rentable suites
2
matched structures
NR 2016
National Register
"The patience, the communication, the genuine desire to see people succeed. It all carried over from the classroom to the closing table."
A still from the garden
On film
Walk the estate before you arrive
A short film takes you from the front gate through the turret suite, the carriage house, and the pool courtyard at dusk. If the film moves you, the private tour will do the rest. Showings are by appointment only, so every visit is unhurried and guided.
Book the private tourThe estate film · 714 E La Rua St
This marketing video uses CGI for visual effects and composition; verify property details independently.
No. 05 · Old East Hill to the bay
The neighborhood
A ten-minute walk from Palafox
The estate anchors Old East Hill, Pensacola's city-designated preservation district of more than 300 restored homes built between 1870 and 1920. Palafox Street's cafés and galleries are a ten-minute walk. The white sands of Pensacola Beach are a twenty-minute drive. Pensacola International Airport sits about five miles away.
Few streets in Florida combine national-register architecture, walkable downtown life, and a Gulf beach in the same afternoon. La Rua does, and 714 sits at the top of it.
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0.4 mi
to Palafox
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9-11 mi
to the beach
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5 mi
to the airport
No. 06 · Cynthia Tant, PhD · Broker/Owner
The agent
A professor who fell in love with old houses
As a college professor, I accidentally fell into real estate investing 30 years ago. I built a portfolio of 10 properties in a 90-day time period (not advised, but it happened!). That wild start lit a fire that never went out.
It began my real estate investment career, which led into leaving academia and pursuing the profession full time. The transition from teaching college students to teaching clients about real estate felt natural. The patience, the communication, the genuine desire to see people succeed. It all carried over.
Today I am Broker-Owner of three separate companies: Gulf Coast Home Experts, my sales brokerage; Gulf Coast Real Estate Management, full-service property management for long-term rentals; and Gulf Coast BnB Rentals, short-term vacation rental management on Pensacola Beach and beyond. That means I can assist with the sale, buy, invest, rehab, rent, or manage your current or future home, all while educating you during the process. A true one-stop-shop client experience.
- Broker/Owner · License Broker · BK3044116 · FL
- Gulf Coast Home Experts, LLC · Sales
- Gulf Coast Real Estate Management · Long-term rentals
- Gulf Coast BnB Rentals · Short-term vacation rentals
Begin the conversation
Showings are by appointment only. Share your details and Cynthia will be in touch within one business day.
Private by design
Showings by appointment only
The estate is occupied and operating, so every visit is scheduled, guided, and unhurried. Tell Cynthia a little about your timeline and interest, and she will match you with a slot.
- Private guided tours, seven days by appointment
- Operating and income history available on request
- Welcoming investors, owner-users, and hospitality buyers
- The estate film is the best place to start
Prefer to reach out directly?
- (850) 393-5134
- Cindy@Move2FLA.com
- Gulf Coast Home Experts, LLC · 316 W Cervantes St, Ste A, Pensacola, FL 32501