William F. Breen was born in January 1866 in Ripley, Minnesota, the son of James and Mary Breen from Ireland. In 1900, he was boarding on Tarragona Street and was single and working as a house carpenter. Ironically, Henrietta "Hettie" Middleton Strickland Higbee (1863-1951) had divorced and moved down here with her mother and was living in Cantonment. Shortly thereafter in 1903, the two were married and built the house at 1408 East Lee Street. They would live in this house until death separated the two. Their son, William Hixson Breen was born on March 19, 1904 and passed away in Tallahassee on October 28, 1987 and was buried there. In the meantime, William F. expanded his business to become a renowned building contractor and stayed active until his later years. William Francis would pass away in 1953 and joined Hettie in the St. Johns Cemetery.
The Breen home at 1408 East Lee Street, Pensacola, Florida
Built in 1903, 1408 East Lee Street as it appears in 2019
William Francis and Hettie Breen's grave site in St. Johns Cemetery