The Mansion at Tuckahoe

The Mansion at Tuckahoe (HM27Q8)

Location: Jensen Beach, FL 34957 Martin County
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Country: United States of America
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N 27° 13.687', W 80° 12.791'

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Inscription
Mt. Elizabeth and the surrounding property were purchased by explorer William Henry Racey in the late 1850's. In 1891, his son, Charles Racey, built a three-story wood-frame house on the mound for his family and started a pineapple and citrus plantation on the property. The Racey family sold the property to a New York Judge after the home burned to the ground in 1921.

The Leach Family and Tuckahoe
In 1936, Atlanta businessman Willaford Leach and his wife Anne Bates Leach, a Coca-Cola heiress, purchased Mt. Elizabeth and the surrounding property and built the Mediterranean Revival home that exists today. Named "Tuckahoe," the estate was completed in 1939 with the latest in architectural design for that time. Sitting on approximately 54 acres of riverfront woodland and rolling lawns, Tuckahoe was the hub of social life in Martin Country and the setting for countless parties attended by the local social set and WWII soldiers from Camp Murphy. Mrs. Leach, who helped organize The Garden Club of Stuart, donated funds for The Anne Bates Leach Eye Hospital, affiliated with Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Miami.

St. Joseph Novitiate and College
In the early 1950's, the Leaches decided to move to Palm Beach and sold the property to the Catholic Church. The estate became a novitiate of the Sisters



of St. Joseph and the mansion was used as a dormitory. In 1966, the admission of lay students began and the school would become Florida's only two-year liberal arts college. Economic difficulties resulted in the closing of the school in 1972.

Florida Institute of Technology (FIT)
FIT purchased the property in 1972 and it became the site of a four-year college offering advanced degrees in marine related subjects. The mansion became the administration building and student center. FIT was an important part of the community for 14 years until operating expenses forced the closing of the school in 1986.

Indian RiverSide Park
Following the FIT closure, Tuckahoe and the surrounding property stood vacant until local community leaders led a successful referendum drive to encourage Martin County to purchase the property. In 1997, the property became the site of this park. Restoration of The Mansion was completed in 2009.

National Historic Registry
The Mansion at Tuckahoe was placed on The National Register of Historic Places in November 2005 with the help of the Friends of Mount Elizabeth.
Details
HM NumberHM27Q8
Tags
Placed ByIndian Riverside Park
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Wednesday, May 23rd, 2018 at 10:01pm PDT -07:00
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Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)17R E 577907 N 3011946
Decimal Degrees27.22811667, -80.21318333
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 27° 13.687', W 80° 12.791'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds27° 13' 41.22" N, 80° 12' 47.46" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)772
Which side of the road?Marker is on the right when traveling North
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 1721-1773 County Rd 707, Jensen Beach FL 34957, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

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