One of my favorite places to visit when I return to Jensen Beach in Florida is Indian Riverside Park. It’s a 63 acre park that is on the Indian River Lagoon. There are so many things to love about the park that today I will just focus on one of the spots that I like to visit at the park. It is the Mansion at Tuckahoe.
This is the view looking up at the Mansion from the Terrace Amphitheater.
The Mansion has been on the Register of Historic Places since 2005 and is built on Mount Elizabeth Mound. The information that I was able to find is that the property was built in 1938 by Willaford Leach and his wife Anna Bates Leach (a Coca-Cola heiress). It was named “Tuckahoe” because it was believed that was the Native American word for “Welcome”.
In 1950, Tuckahoe was sold to the Catholic Church and became St. Joseph’s College. The college closed in 1972 and was sold to Florida Institute of Technology. It was purchased in 1996 by the County. It sat unused until its restoration by the Friends of Mount Elizabeth in 2009.
The Mansion is now used as a rental venue. You can see in some of my old photos from when we lived nearby that it overlooks the Indian River Lagoon. Its location and grandeur make it a popular wedding venue. I have not had any reasons to go inside so I can’t tell you much about that. The Tuckahoe Terrace Amphitheater is a fun place to hang out and smell the salty air. The boardwalk that runs along the park passes by the mansion along the river.
The church we attended when we lived there hosted a Easter Sunrise Service there (daybreak and I don’t typically meet) and I’ve seen that some other churches have hosted a Sunrise Service there in the years since. I have seen the sun rise over the Indian River Lagoon and it is a beauty! There have also been some concerts held at the amphitheater.
There are rumors that the Mansion is haunted. Again, I’ve never been inside, but the fact that the plaque says “ceremonial” grounds….I have had experiences in life that can’t just be explained away, so I don’t rule anything out.
I’m including this in Thursday Doors, hosted by Norm 2.0. I wish the doors were a little more spectacular (and there may be some that are), but they fit nicely in with the large amounts of glass that offer a beautiful view of the surrounding area.
If you are ever down near Jensen Beach, you should definitely put Indian Riverside Park on your list. The Mansion is only one of the many reasons that I love this park.
Let your light shine!
Amy
Beautiful spot. We have a TUCKAHOE PLANTATION here in Virginia. It too is historical with a completely different feel and is worth a gander should you ever be near. Check it our here, http://www.tuckahoeplantation.com/ Glad I saw your sunny post.
Thank you for the information. I’ve seen the Plantation come up when looking for information on the Mansion. I didn’t realize where it was located. I’ve enjoyed my visits to Maymont, Monticello, and Poplar Forest so I’ll have to take note of this one! 🙂
What a beautiful building – if it’s over an Indian burial mound than it probably is haunted. ; )
It is a beautiful building. I was trying to find out more about the mound, but just found it was formed by the Ais Tribe.
Calusa and Seminole were the tribes that had been near my hometown and I was always concerned about disturbing sacred ground!!
That first shot is awesome Amy. Seems like an amazing location to stay for a short spell.
Sunrises there must be downright spectacular, though I’m not sure I’d be into overnighting, what with the ghosts and all 😉
I would imagine the walls have great stories to tell. I read that it was the location of lavish parties in the 1940’s!
Fabulous photos and what a great setting.
Thank you! It really is quite a beautiful spot! 🙂
Really lovely. I don’t care for Florida or daybreak or Sunday service, but I’d go there, just once, to see the majesty of it.
I lived less than a 5 minute drive away from it for 3 years and never saw it at daybreak or for a Sunday service, maybe not even on a Sunday! But it is quite majestic 🙂
Wow! Such a wonderful place. The Mansion looks beyond beautiful. Should be a great spot for some family times. 🙂
Regards,
Karmughil
http://www.authoringlife.wordpress.com
It’s typically rented out for weddings or charity events, but it adds a beautiful quality to the park!
Awesome! 🙂
Now it’s time to walk around at night time when things are quiet and see if it’s REALLY haunted 😉
I think everything is creepier at night! I’ve watched way too many horror movies. So even if it isn’t, I’d be convinced that it was! 🙂