The Casements

Last updated
The Casements and Casements Annex
Ormond Beach Casements01.jpg
Volusia County Florida No Highlights.svg
Red pog.svg
Location Ormond Beach, Florida
Coordinates 29°17′21″N81°2′45″W / 29.28917°N 81.04583°W / 29.28917; -81.04583
Built1913
Architectural style Shingle Style [1]
MPS Historic Winter Residences of Ormond Beach, 1878-1925 MPS
NRHP reference No. 72001536 (The Casements)
88001720 (Casements Annex) [1]
Added to NRHPJune 30, 1972 (The Casements)
October 6, 1988 (Casements Annex)

The Casements is a mansion in Ormond Beach, Florida, U.S., famous for being the winter residence of American oil magnate John D. Rockefeller. It is currently owned by the city of Ormond Beach and is used as a cultural center and park. It is located on a barrier island within the city limits, overlooking the Halifax River, which is now part of the Florida Intracoastal Waterway.

Contents

History

The mansion was built in 1913 for the Reverend Dr. Harwood Huntington of New Haven, Connecticut. [2] It was named for the many casement windows incorporated into the design of the building, which helped keep the interior cool in spite of Florida's subtropical climate.

The Rockefeller era

Its most famous resident, John D. Rockefeller, purchased the home as his winter residence in 1918. Rockefeller was seventy-eight years old when he moved into the Casements. He became known in the area for his elaborate Christmas parties, his love of golf, and for handing out dimes to his neighbors or visitors. During a golf game with Harvey Firestone, the tire magnate made such a good shot that Rockefeller decided he deserved a dime and handed one to his somewhat embarrassed guest.

Over the years, Edward VIII, Henry Ford, and Will Rogers visited Rockefeller at The Casements; Rogers once quipped, "I’m glad you won (at golf) today, Mr. Rockefeller. The last time you lost, the price of gasoline went up!" [3]

Guests at The Casements received a poem along with their new dime. This poem is believed to have been written by Rockefeller:

I was early taught to work as well as play
My life has been one long, happy holiday
Full of work and full of play
I dropped the worry on the way
And God was good to me every day. [3]

It was in this home that Rockefeller eventually died in his sleep on the morning of May 23, 1937. [4] The Rockefeller family sold The Casements in 1939. [5] [6]

Later history

Maude van Woy purchase The Casements on November 8, 1940 to establish Casements Junior College and Preparatory School. [7] [8] [9] In December 1942, van Woy was sued for failure to meet a $10,000 promissory note for The Casements property, triggering a clause that required her to pay the $30,000 loan balance in full ($537,312 in today's money). [8] She solved her finncial problems by closing another school she owned in Washington, D.C. and moving its students to Casements Junior College. [10]

Over the next 20 years, The Casements served as a girls' preparatory school and a home for the elderly. In 1959 the property was purchased by the Hotel Ormond Corporation with plans for development, but those plans never materialized. [11] In 1973, The Casements was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The next year, it was purchased for $500,000 by the City of Ormond Beach, which eventually restored it until October 1979 to serve as a cultural and community center. [12]

In 2009, The Casements underwent a $1.1 million renovation project. [13]

The gardens

The Casements gardens are an authentic restoration of a two-acre garden along the Halifax riverfront that belonged to John D. Rockefeller Sr. in the early 1900s. The gardens feature citrus trees, a grand promenade, streams and small bridges and a variety of seasonal flower displays during the year. [14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Volusia County, Florida</span> County in Florida, United States

Volusia County is located in the east-central part of the U.S. state of Florida between the St. Johns River and the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2020 census, the county was home to 553,543 people, an increase of 11.9% from the 2010 census. It was founded on December 29, 1854, from part of Orange County, and was named for the community of Volusia, located in northwestern Volusia County. Its first county seat was Enterprise. Since 1887, its county seat has been DeLand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daytona Beach, Florida</span> City in Florida, United States

Daytona Beach, or simply Daytona, is a coastal resort city in Volusia County, Florida, United States. Located on the East Coast of the United States, its population was 72,647 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Deltona–Daytona Beach–Ormond Beach metropolitan area, and is a principal city of the Fun Coast region of Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DeLand, Florida</span> City in Florida, United States

DeLand is a city in and the county seat of Volusia County, Florida, United States. The city sits approximately 34 miles (55 km) north of the central business district of Orlando, and approximately 23 miles (37 km) west of the central business district of Daytona Beach. It is a part of the Deltona–Daytona Beach–Ormond Beach metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the population was 37,351.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deltona, Florida</span> City in Florida, United States

Deltona is a city in Volusia County, Florida, United States. It is located on the northern shore of Lake Monroe. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 93,692. It is a principal city of the Deltona–Daytona Beach–Ormond Beach metropolitan area, which was home to an estimated 685,344 people in 2021. It is the third largest city in the Greater Orlando combined statistical area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ormond Beach, Florida</span> City in Volusia County, Florida, US

Ormond Beach is a city in Volusia County, Florida, United States. The population was 43,080 at the 2020 census. Ormond Beach lies directly north of Daytona Beach and is a principal city of the Deltona–Daytona Beach–Ormond Beach, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city is known as the birthplace of speed, as early adopters of motorized cars flocked to its hard-packed beaches for yearlong entertainment, since paved roads were not yet commonplace. Ormond Beach lies in Central Eastern Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ormond-by-the-Sea, Florida</span> CDP in Florida, United States

Ormond-by-the-Sea is a census-designated place and an unincorporated town in Volusia County, Florida, United States. The population was 7,312 as of the 2020 census, a decrease from 7,406 in the 2010 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elwood, Victoria</span> Suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Elwood is an inner suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 8 km south-east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Port Phillip local government area. Elwood recorded a population of 15,153 at the 2021 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Florida</span> Region in Florida, United States

Central Florida is a region of the U.S. state of Florida. Different sources give different definitions for the region, but as its name implies it is usually said to comprise the central part of the state, including the Tampa Bay area and the Greater Orlando area, though in recent times the Tampa Bay area has often been described as its own region, with "central Florida" becoming more synonymous with the Orlando area.

<i>The Daytona Beach News-Journal</i> Newspaper in Florida

The Daytona Beach News-Journal is a Florida daily newspaper serving Volusia and Flagler Counties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Halifax River</span> River in Florida, United States

The Halifax River is part of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, located in northeast Volusia County, Florida. The waterway was originally known as the North Mosquito River, but was renamed after George Montagu-Dunk, 2nd Earl of Halifax, during the British occupation of Florida (1763–1784).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ormond Hotel</span> United States historic place

The Ormond Hotel was a historic hotel in Ormond Beach, Florida, United States. It was located at 15 East Granada Boulevard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dix House</span> Historic house in Florida, United States

The Dix House is a historic home in Ormond Beach, Florida, United States. On September 6, 1989, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Anderson Lodge</span> Historic house that has been demolished in Florida, United States

The John Anderson Lodge was an historic home built around 1886 at 71 Orchard Lane in Ormond Beach, Florida, United States. It was built for Ormond Beach promoter John Anderson (1853–1911), who was one of the first owners of the Ormond Hotel. The lodge was originally used by employees of the hotel and to host parties. In its later years it became a single family residence. The lodge was built on pilings and featured vertical palm tree wall construction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rowallan</span> Historic house in Florida, United States

Rowallan is a historic site in Ormond Beach, Florida, United States. It is located at 253 John Anderson Highway. On October 6, 1988, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ormond Beach Municipal Airport</span> Airport in Ormond Beach, Florida

Ormond Beach Airport, also known as Ormond Beach Municipal Airport, is a general aviation airport located 3 miles (4.8 km) to the northwest of the city of Ormond Beach in Volusia County, Florida, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Granada Bridge (Ormond Beach)</span> Structure in Florida, United States

The Granada Bridge is a high-clearance bridge that spans the Halifax River and Intracoastal Waterway, linking the mainland and beach peninsula parts of Ormond Beach, Volusia County, Florida. Granada Bridge carries four lanes of State Road 40 and Granada Blvd. The Casements, along with City Hall Plaza, Fortunato Park, and Riverbridge Park reside at the four corners of Ormond Beach's Granada Bridge, which give their collective name to the annual "Four Corners Festival" in Ormond Beach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ormond Mound</span> Historic site in Volusia County, Florida

Ormond Mound is a Pre-Columbian burial mound of the St. Johns culture, in Ormond Beach, Volusia County, Florida, US.

Ellinor Village was the largest family resort in Florida in the 1940s and 1950s. It was built in Ormond Beach, Florida, by Byron Ellinor and his brother Merrill, and comprised 660 “cottages” and apartments. Ellinor Village resort opened on May 1, 1949, with triplexes, duplexes and single-family units for rent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ormond Scenic Loop and Trail</span>

The Ormond Scenic Loop and Trail is a series of scenic state and county highways in Volusia County, Florida. CR 2002 is the northern leg of the trail. CR 4011(Old Dixie Highway and North Beach Street) is the western leg, with a spur onto Pine Tree Drive. SR 40(East Granada Boulevard) is the southern leg of the trail. CR 2803(John Anderson Drive) is the central leg of the trail, and SR A1A is the eastern leg of the trail. Florida Scenic Highway, designated this route on July 9, 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fairmont Seminary</span> Womens college and high school in Washington, D.C.

Fairmont Seminary, later called Fairmont Junior College sometimes misspelled as Fairmount Seminary, was an educational institution for woman in Washington, D.C. The seminary opened in 1899. It was a boarding school that included a preparatory school and a junior college. It closed in December 1942.

References

  1. 1 2 "National Register of Historical Places - Florida (FL), Volusia County". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2007-03-26.
  2. ↑ "The Jewel of Ormond Beach". The Casements. n.d. Retrieved 2022-06-03.
  3. 1 2 Florida: A Guide to the Southern-Most State, by Federal Writers' Project, page 342.
  4. ↑ "Obituary: John D. Rockefeller Dies at 97 in His Florida Home; Funeral to be Held Here". New York Times. May 24, 1937.
  5. ↑ "History". Ormond Beach. n.d. Retrieved 2022-05-29.
  6. ↑ Miller, Mike (n.d.). "Ormond Beach, Florida". Florida Backroads Travel. Retrieved 2022-05-29.
  7. ↑ "Breakfast at Golf Club for MIss MacMillan". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. 1940-12-01. p. 52. Retrieved 2024-01-18– via Newspapers.com.
  8. 1 2 "Former Winter Home of Rockefeller in Suit". The Knoxville Journal. Knoxville, Tennessee. 1942-12-22. p. 9. Retrieved 2024-01-18– via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ "Palm Beach Notes". The Palm Beach Post. Florida. 1940-12-19. p. 11. Retrieved 2024-01-18– via Newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ "Australian Supplies Will Take Over Girls' School Here". Evening star. Washington, D.C. 1942-12-19. p. 15. Retrieved 2024-01-18– via Newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ "Gazebo dedication at Casements kicks off year-long celebration". Ormond Beach Observer. 2013-10-21. Retrieved 2022-05-30.
  12. ↑ "History of the House and The Guild". The Casements. n.d. Retrieved 2022-05-30.
  13. ↑ "Top Orlando News, Weather, Sports, Entertainment".
  14. ↑ "The Best Gardenias".
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.