$1 Million House Comes With A Caboose

It sits beneath the oaks and slash pines, hidden in the serenity of the Coachman Hill Estates subdivision.

The house at 2352 Alligator Creek Rd. borders a creek and railroad tracks. It was built and designed by artist Roger Bansemer, who also had the Atlantic Coast Line caboose shipped by rail from Cincinnati.

The architecture is a mix of 19th century gothic styles seen in churches and train depots. There are stained glass windows throughout the house. Climb some stairs and there is an outdoor observation deck about three stories tall.

Bansemer left the area in about 2007, according to the St. Petersburg Times, and there have been two owners of the property since then. And possibly soon another. The home recently went on the market and is listed for sale for $1.195 million.

Bansemer is a homegrown artist who attended Ringling College of Art in Sarasota. He has a show on PBS and painted images of the Titanic while on an expedition of its wreckage.

In Clearwater, Bansemer might best be known for the hot air balloon mural he painted on the former Spyglass Motel. The nine story building was demolished during a stunt by magician Criss Angel to make way for the Hyatt in 2008.

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