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scgov.net - Phillippi Estate Park
| Phillippi Estate Park |
| Phillippi Estate Park is a scenic, 60-acre natural area park
located on U.S. Highway 41 (Tamiami Trail) south of downtown
Sarasota. The park features environmental and historic
attractions. Residents and visitors can enjoy the beauty of this
park seven days a week. |
Amenities -
Edson Keith Mansion
-
indoor rental space
- playground
- gazebo
- parking area
- canoe/kayak launch
- nature trails
- shoreline trails
- picnic tables
- grills
- public restrooms
- fishing/observation piers
- rose garden
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| History |
The property that is home to Phillippi Estate Park has a
rich and storied history. While Native Americans have hunted,
fished and gathered along the banks of Phillippi Creek for
thousands of years, the creek gets its name from Felipe
Bermudez. A Spanish fisherman, Bermudez kept a rancho in the
area, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers survey of
1847. Bermudez’s first name was anglicized to “Phillippi,” which
gave the creek and surrounding area its present name.
In 1916, Chicago businessman Edson Keith relocated to Florida
from Chicago with his wife Nettie and built a mansion in the
Italian Renaissance style on the shores of Phillippi Creek. The
home was designed by the Chicago-based architectural firm of
Otis and Clark.
Keith purchased 60 acres of land and lived in the farmhouse
while he oversaw the construction of his 14-room home. His
family owned an apparel business in Chicago and sold hats,
gloves and other wares to the Marshall Fields department store,
and he remained involved in the business even after moving to
Florida. Edson and Nettie Keith were members of the “Chicago
Colony,” a group of prominent Midwestern families who spent at
least part of the year in southwest Florida. Unlike most members
of the Chicago Colony, the Keiths lived in Sarasota year-round.
Keith was close friends with Bertha Palmer and her son Honoré,
also from Chicago. Honoré lived across Phillippi Creek at
Immokalee, where the development known as the Landings stands
today. The Edson Keith estate was a working farm with citrus
groves, vegetable gardens and animals. The estate manager and
servants lived in the farmhouse, which will be restored with
funds from historic preservation grants.
Edson Keith died in 1939 and another Chicagoan, Mae Hansen,
bought the property. She was a successful doll manufacturer and
became famous for designing wardrobes for Barbie, Mattel’s
popular doll. Mae Hansen married Charlie Prodie, who turned the
mansion into the Phillippi Plantation restaurant. Various
outbuildings became weekend retreats for paying guests. Mae
Prodie died in 1986. The same year Sarasota County voters
approved a referendum that included the purchase of the 60-acre
estate for $5.2 million. |
| Special Events |
| Private and public large special events are held at Philippi
Estate Park, utilizing both the Edson Keith Mansion and the open
space areas of the park. The park hosts a popular weekly Brown
Bag Concert Series every Thursday in February and March at the
gazebo. The public is invited to bring a lunch and lawn chair
and enjoy these free musical performances from noon till 1 p.m.
The gazebo and playground are also popular spots for children’s
birthday parties, team events, and family gatherings. |
| Weddings and Receptions |
The historic Edson Keith Mansion at Phillippi Estate Park is
an ideal site for wedding ceremonies and receptions. The mansion
overlooks Phillippi Creek, which is bordered by graceful palm
trees and moss-draped mature oaks. Wedding ceremonies can take
place either inside the mansion or outside on the lawn. There
are several choices of outdoor locations for ceremonies to take
advantage of the water view or the park view. There is also a
small arbor near the rose garden that offers excellent photo
opportunities.
The Italian Renaissance home features a large foyer, a spacious
living room, twin sunrooms with Palladian windows, a paneled
library and a gracious dining room. Caterers have use of the
butler’s pantry with commercial freezer and the kitchen with
commercial refrigerator.
The second floor has a suite of rooms for the bride and
bridesmaids to prepare for the wedding ceremony. There is also a
corresponding suite of rooms for the groom and groomsmen.
Rental of the mansion includes use of the rose garden, terrace
(85’x16’), lawn behind the mansion down to the fishing pier, and
tables and chairs for 120 guests. Additional chairs and tables
may be brought in by rental companies. The home seats
approximately 150 guests. Amplified music is permitted, subject
to the Sarasota County noise ordinance. Alcoholic beverages are
also permitted.
Because the Edson Keith Mansion is on the National Register of
Historic Places, specific rental conditions and guidelines apply
to its use.
Click here for reservation information and
rental
conditions.
For additional information about the Edson Keith Mansion, gazebo
and open spaces, contact the Sarasota County Call Center
at 941-861-5000 and ask about Phillippi Estate Park |
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