A Piece of Tampa History for Your Home
Over the past ten years there was much conversation over the fate of the famed Belleview-Biltmore Hotel in Belleair. Most of us know that the fight to save this piece of local history was lost and the demolition is nearly complete making way for new condos and townhomes. On a positive note, a great deal of the wood from the hotel was salvaged. Seer Flooring is excited that we are one of the few local flooring companies who have acquired some of this beautiful and historic heart pine.
Authentically Dated and Professionally Milled
The heart pine from the Belleview-Biltmore can be authentically dated to 1897 as we know the history of the hotel. The Hudson Company took a great deal of care to salvage the wood flooring and other architectural materials and ship them to their mill in New York to re-plane and inspect each board. We know that there are many local homes that this heart pine will complement beautifully.
Dade County Heart Pine
The wood that was used in the majority of the construction of the Belleview-Biltmore was from Dade County Florida. This type of pine was prized by builders in the late 1800’s. The wood was mostly from trees older than 100 years and because of this, a good amount of resin developed in the tree making it exceptionally strong, nearly impervious to termites, and very resistant to rot. You can’t find new Dade County Heart Pine today. Any trees that are of the age to create the strong resin-filled wood are only on public lands where they can’t be harvested.
The Dade Heart Pine from the hotel can be compared to old heart pine that is found in the Mid-Atlantic region except it is denser. That’s how many of the old homes in Key West and Miami are still standing – they were built with Dade Heart Pine.
Belleview-Biltmore Flooring in Your Home
If you are looking for new hardwood floors for your home, consider this historic wood. It is exceptionally durable, incredibly rich looking and who can resist the history behind it. We have a limited quantity available so contact Seer Flooring if you want this beautiful reclaimed wood for your home’s floors. We can be reached at 727-785-1930.