Florida Historical Markers Programs - Marker Detail

Description: Constructed in 1906 by Mabel Lewis, this frame vernacular structure was the home of generations of the Morrison family, including the parents of James Douglas (Jim) Morrison, the lead singer for The Doors. Before Robert Bruce (R.B.) and Frances Morrison purchased the building in 1932, it had been used as a tea house and as a speakeasy during Prohibition. In 1942, R.B. offered the basement apartment to his cousin George Stephen (Steve) Morrison and his wife Clara Clark Morrison. While in Pensacola, Steve, a U.S. Naval Academy graduate, completed his flight training at the Naval Air Station. Steve and Clara moved to Melbourne, Florida, a few months before Jim was born on December 8, 1943. Steve Morrison was a highly-decorated naval officer who became a Rear Admiral in 1966. After attending Florida State University and graduating from the University of California at Los Angeles, Jim Morrison, a gifted singer and lyricist, became a legendary and mysterious rock star. He died in Paris in 1972. The Morrison home was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970 as part of the Downtown Pensacola Historic District and was occupied by members of the Morrison family until 2014.