John Thomas Lowe was born on February 15, 1830, on Green Turtle Cay, Abaco to William B Lowe (1806-1859) and Mary Amelia Ann (Russell (1806-1891).

His siblings included…

• William C (1828)
• Mary Elizabeth (1836)
• Amos (1839)
• Robert B (1845)

On December 28, 1853, in possibly Green Turtle Cay, Abaco, John Thomas married Laura Dorothy Meares (1834-1905) from Nassau, Providence. She is the daughter of William George Meares (1790-1837) and Miriam Amelia Roberts (1804-1890).

Their children included…

• Thomas Jefferson (1857)
• Wesley Brownell (1859)
• Mary Ellen (1867)
• Asa M (1873?)

In 1860, they resided at Key West. John gave his profession as a mariner, and declared real property valued at $600 and a personal estate of $400.

In 1860, he and friend Augustus Archer left Key West for Clearwater, Florida, before the arrival of Federal occupation forces. Both owned and captained their own ships. He was mustered into Confederate service on April 25, 1862, when he was enlisted as a private in Captain Smith’s Company (Key West Avengers), 7th Regiment Florida Infantry by Major R. B. Thomas at Tampa, Florida, for a period of 3 years or the war.

He was promoted 3rd corporal on August 8, 1862, and then promoted to 3rd sergeant on March 1, 1863. He was transferred to the C.S. Navy while at Dalton, Georgia, on February 25, 1864, and was assigned to serve in CSS Savannah on March 3, 1864. He served in CSS Savannah until December 21, 1864. He was a participant in the capture of USS Waterwitch, and served temporarily in CSS Tallahassee from August 6 through August 26, 1864.

He served as pilot in CSS Savannah until December 21, 1864; he is credited with assisting in firing and scuttling the vessel to deny her capture by General Sherman’s forces at Savannah. He was paroled at Tampa, Hillsborough County, Florida, in 1865.

In 1883, Captain John Thomas Lowe established a landing at the northwest end of Siesta Road calling it Lowe’s Landing. This was the landing for the community called Anona. It received its name from the Anona sweet apples brought to the area from Key West.

In 1872 settlers and circuit riding preacher Rev. John Wells established the first church service with the first rough board church/schoolhouse being built in 1873 on land donated by Captain John Thomas Lowe. John and Laura had a second child in 1872. Laura died in 1905. Lowe drew a Confederate pension.

The Lowe House and its accompanying barn now stand in Heritage Park Village in Largo, Pinellas County, Florida—but neither structure was originally built there. The house, in particular, has had a long journey, having been relocated three separate times before reaching its current home in the county park.

Its first move took it to St. Petersburg, near 8th Avenue North and 37th Street. When the house faced demolition, descendants of John T. Lowe and his son Wesley purchased it, carefully dismantled it, numbered each plank, and reassembled the structure after transporting it from Largo.

Years later, the Lowe House was moved again—this time in one piece—to the Haas Museum at 3511 2nd Avenue South in St. Petersburg. Eventually, it was relocated once more to Heritage Park Village, where it could be preserved and interpreted as a museum for future generations.

The barn also underwent one or two relocations of its own, though not along the same route as the house. Today, both the house and barn are reunited at Heritage Park Village in Largo, Pinellas County, Florida.

Captain John Thomas Lowe passed away August 5, 1921 (age 91) in Anona, Florida and is buried at Anona Cemetery, now known as the Pioneer Section of Serenity Gardens Memorial Park in Largo, Florida. He is my 2nd cousin 4 times removed.