The Casements, Ormond Beach, Florida One Place Study

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The Casements, Ormond Beach, Florida One Place Study

This profile is part of the The Casements, Ormond Beach, Florida One Place Study.

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Name

The Casements

Geography

Continent: North America

Country: United States of America

State/Province: Florida

County: Volusia

GPS Coordinates: 29.289167, -81.045833

Elevation: 3.3 m or 11.0 feet

Overview

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The Casements is officially known as ‘The Jewel of Ormond Beach'.

Location: 25 Riverside Drive, Ormond Beach, Florida 32176, at the east end of the Halifax Bridge.

The Casements has been officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places, as well as designated as a Florida Heritage Site.

The Casements is a 9000 square foot 3 story mansion sitting on the eastern bank of the Halifax River in Ormond Beach, Florida and was the Winter home of oil tycoon John. D. Rockefeller.

The mansion is so named because of its generous use of casement type windows in every room. It seems that in the late 19th century (Victorian age), casement window sashes transitioned from iron to oak. Therefore when Casements was built they were all hand cut oak frames.

Also in this era, window glass making was still in its infancy, so only small panes were used in casements type windows. That's why there are so many grids used herein.

NASCAR was formed from the early car races in this area which gave Ormond Beach another title, that being “The Birthplace of Speed.” John D. Rockefeller, his son John Jr., and close friend Henry Ford were great fans of the local speed races on Ormond Beach as well as nearby Daytona Beach.

FYI - In 1907 Glenn Curtiss (1878-1930) set an unofficial world record of 136.36 miles per hour (219.45 km/h), on a 40-horsepower (30 kW) 269 cu in (4,410 cc) Curtiss V-8 motorcycle along Ormond Beach.

In 2023, Casements in Ormond Beach celebrated its 100 birthday.

Historical Timeline

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2oth Century

1913 - The Casements was built by Reverend Harwood Huntington and his wife Grace on land given to her by her father.

1918 - John D. Rockefeller purchased Casements along with a second house for $75,000. He also bought an additional 6 surrounding lots for another $14,000 dollars which gave him a total of 9 acres of property.

1937 - Rockefeller passed away in his bedroom of the Casements. Memorial services were held in both Ormond Beach and New York.

1940 - Maud van Woy, of Fairmont Junior College, Washington D.C., bought Casements from the Rockefeller heirs for $37,500 and started a school the following year. The school closed in 1951.

1951 - Casements school was sold for $150,000 to Reverend C.A. Maddy who established a nonprofit retirement facility for ministers.

1959 - The Casements was purchased by a group of investors called Ormond Hotel Casements Inc. for $128,000.

1960s - Ormond Hotel Casements Inc. planned to raze the Casements and build condominiums by the end of the decade.

1970s – A struggle ensued between citizens against the demolition by Ormond Hotel Casements Inc. The property, for all intents and purposes, was abandoned along with redevelopment plans.

1974 - The city of Ormond Beach purchased the Casements for $500,000. Also that year, the Casements is gutted by fire.

1977 - The city receives a reconstruction grant for $449,000 under the Public Works Act. Reconstruction begins the following year.

1979 - The Casements Guild is chartered and the Casements is dedicated as “The Community Enrichment Center of Ormond Beach.”

21st Century

2009 - The Casements underwent a $1.1 million renovation project.

2010 - The Casements reopens after being restored.

History

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The Casements was built in 1913 by Episcopal clergyman, lawyer, and author, the Rev. Harwood Huntington (1861-1923) of New Haven, Connecticut on land given to his wife Grace Beecher Goodhue (1872-1958) by her father. After only 5 years in the home, the Huntington’s sold Casements in 1918 and moved to Los Angeles in 1919 to continue Mr. Huntington’s religious work in the church there.

While working in New York, an executive and co-founder of Standard Oil Company named John Davison Rockefeller had his employees try to find him a location in the U.S. that was pollution free where he could spend his winter months and invigorate his health. They found it in Ormond Beach, Florida.

He started coming down to Ormond Beach in the winter of 1914 and would stay at the (old) Ormond Hotel which was located just across the street from the (current) Casements. He rented an entire wing of the hotel for himself, family, and his personal staff, which became known as the ‘Rockefeller Wing’.

Being a resident of the hotel, Rockefeller was nicknamed ‘Neighbor John’ by the locals as he would stroll by Casements every day on his walks around the area handing out dimes to the neighborhood children as a friendly gesture.

At some point, it seems that the Ormond Hotel was going to raise his rental rate which he objected to. So when ‘Casements’ came up for sale in 1918, he was thinking that the sea air and rounds of golf, which he played every day at near Oceanside Golf and Country Club (est. 1907) would help him live to be 100 (he came close), he bought the Harwood estate at the age of 78 for $75,000 dollars, and an additional 6 lots for another $14,000 dollars giving him a total of 9 acres of property.

Well known guests at Casements included Harvey Firestone (1868-1938) (Firestone Tire Company), Edward VIII, Britain's Prince of Wales (1894-1932), Henry Flagler (1830-1913) (American industrialist), Henry Ford (1863-1947) (Ford Motor Company), Will Rogers (1879-1935) (Vaudeville performer, and actor), and Sir Malcolm Campbell (1885-1948) (World land speed record holder in 1935), all of whom visited and stayed with Rockefeller at Casements off and on for his many parties.

Upon Rockefeller’s death, his family had planned to have Casements torn down but Instead it was sold in 1940 for $37,500 dollars to Maud Van Woy (1876-1966), owner and headmistress of the Fairmont Junior College of Washington, D.C.. Van Woy transformed the building into the Casements Junior College.

Following the closing of the college in 1951, Casements was sold to Rev. C.A. Maddy to be used as a religious retirement facility and school. It later became Casements Manor, a secular retirement facility.

In 1959 the property was purchased by the Hotel Ormond Corporation for $128,000 dollars with plans for development, but those plans never materialized.

Over the years, two fires, vandalism, and overall neglect caused Casements to be destined for demolition. By the late 1960s much of the property was destroyed and plans were drawn up to build an $8 million condominium complex, but Casements was saved by local citizens instead.

It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973, and the City of Ormond Beach purchased the property in 1974 for $500,000 dollars. It was restored with a Federal Economic Development Administration grant under the Local Public Works Act in 1978 and reopened in 1979 as The Community Enrichment Center of Ormond Beach, a historical, educational and cultural facility also hosting community events.

Interior

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Drawing Room - This is now the 'Art' room.

Picture Gallery - This displays John D. Rockefellers family photos, as well as pictures of race cars at Ormond Beach and Daytona Beach.

Notable People

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Rev. Harwood Huntington (1861-1923) Episcopal clergyman, lawyer, and author

Born: New Haven, Connecticut

Died: Los Angeles, California

Resting Place: Springfield Cemetery, Springfield, Hampden, Massachusetts

Bio Summary: Harwood Huntington graduated from Trinity College in 1884 with honors. He pursued further studies in chemistry at the School of Mines, Columbia University in 1893 & 1894 and received his PH.D. from Columbia in the latter year. He also studied abroad, mostly in Europe.

1895 - He was admitted to the Bar of Connecticut and practiced in Hartford, CT with a specialty in chemical law from 1895 to 1901.

1901-1904 - He held the office of Assistant Appraiser at the Port of New York.

1906 - He then studied for the ministry, and was ordained Deacon in the Episcopal Church.

1908 - He was a Missionary in China and of Korea.

1913 - On a lot provided by his wife's family, he started building Casements which overlooks the Halifax River.

1917 - He retired and became a volunteer chaplain at Army camps in southern Florida.

1918 - He sold Casements to John D. Rockefeller.

1919 - He and his wife moved to Los Angeles to work in the church there.

Parents: John Taylor Huntington (1830-1919) and Elizabeth Tracy Williams (1832-1887)

Siblings: Winslow Williams Huntington (1857-1858), (Twin) John Williams Huntington (1861-1923), Charlotte Elizabeth Huntington (1866-1938)

Spouse: Grace Beecher Goodhue (1872-1958) Married 1908

Issue: Harriett Elizabeth Huntington (1909-1985), Grace Goodhue Huntington (1913-1948), Charles Goodhue Huntington (1918-2012).

John D. Rockefeller (1839-1937) Capitalist and Philanthropist

Born: Richford, New York

Died: The Casements, Ormond Beach, Florida

Resting Place: Lake View Cemetery, Cleveland, Ohio,

Bio Summary: Co-Owner and co-founder of Standard Oil Company with Henry Flagler (1830-1913), and others.

Starting in 1855, he worked as a bookkeeper in Cleveland, Ohio before he and friend Maurice Clark (1827-1901 ) started a grain business in 1858 under the name of Clark & Rockefeller in which they received sales commissions. Doing well, a few years later they invested an an oil refinery in which they also did well and he sold his shares off to his partner Clark. He then invested $72,500 dollars in another refinery and formed a partnership of Samuel Andrews (1836-1904).

During this period of time, his younger brother William A. Rockefeller (1841-1922) had started his own refinery in which John D and business partner Andrews took over eventually. Developer Henry M. Flagler (1830-1913) joined the partnership and in 1870 the two Rockefeller’s, Flagler, Andrews and a refiner named Stephen V. Harkness (1818-1888) formed the Standard Oil Company, with John D. Rockefeller as president.

John D. became the world's first billionaire in 1916.

His wealth allowed him to provide philanthropy through the creation of various foundations that had a major effect on medicine, education, and scientific research. His foundations pioneered the development of medical research and were instrumental in the near-eradication of hookworm and yellow fever in the United States.

Rockefeller was also the founder of the University of Chicago and Rockefeller University and funded the establishment of Central Philippine University in the Philippines.

He and his son John Jr. took in the auto races along Ormond Beach and Daytona Beach with friend Henry Ford as often as possible.

Rockefeller died of arteriosclerosis on May 23, 1937 at Casements less than two months shy of his 98th birthday. At the time of his death, his wealth was estimated at more than $5 Billion dollars.

Parents: William Avery Rockefeller (1810-1906) and Eliza Davison (1813-1889) married 1837

Siblings: Louisa Ann “Lucy” Rockefeller (1838-1878), William Avery Rockefeller Jr. (1841-1922), Mary Ann Rockefeller (1843-1925), Frances Rockefeller (1845-1847), Franklin Rockefeller (1845-1917), Francis Rockefeller (b / d Unknown).

Spouse: Laura Celestia "Cettie" Spelman (1839-1915) Married 1864

Issue: Elizabeth A. “Bessie” Rockefeller (1866-1906), Alice Rockefeller (1869-1870), Alta Rockefeller (1871-1962, Edith Rockefeller (1872-1932), John Davison Rockefeller Jr. (1874-1960)

Maud Van Woy, aka Maud M. Woy (1876-1966) Private School Principal

Born: Sparta, Wisconsin

Died: Ormond Beach, Florida

Resting Place: Unknown

Bio Summary: She bought Casements in 1940 for $37,500 dollars.

She was formerly owner and headmistress of the Fairmont Junior College of Washington, D.C.

Van Woy transformed Casements into Casements Junior College.

Parents: Silas Mansfield Woy (1848-1921) and Ann Elizabeth Morledge (1851-1938) Married 1874

Siblings: John Morledge Woy (1875-1954), Harry Woy (1877-1900), Mary Elizabeth Woy (1874-1925)

Spouse: Never Married

Issue: None

Gardens

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Location: Across Riverside Drive from Casements.

The gardens sit between The Casements and the Atlantic Intercoastal Waterway on five acres of waterfront encompassing green spaces, flower beds, walking paths and benches. This is open to the public at no charge.

Nearby Attraction

Ormond Beach Hotel Cupola

Location: Directly across Granada Bl, next to the Halifax River.

This replica cupola mimics the original that sat atop of the old Ormond Beach Hotel which sat across Granada Bl. (where the condominium complex is now).

It is generally open to the public and features old photographs of the area, as well as racing cars of days gone by in Rockefeller's time.

Sources

1. ↑ Ormond Beach; https://www.ormondbeach.org
2. ↑ Wikipedia; https://en.wikipedia.org
3. ↑ Kiddle; https://kids.kiddle.co
4. ↑ Observer, Palm Coast, Ormond Beach; https://www.observerlocalnews.com
5. ↑ Historical Marker Database; https://www.hmdb.org
6. ↑ Wikipedia; https://en.wikipedia.org
7. ↑ Daytona Beach Bound; https://www.daytonabeachbound.com
8. ↑ Daytona beach News Journal; https://www.news-journalonline.com
9. ↑ Paranormal Ghost Society; https://www.paranormalghostsociety.org
10. ↑ Stuart M. Wilson, Personal visit; August 2023
11. ↑ Prabook; https://prabook.com
12. ↑ Find A Grave; https://www.findagrave.com
13. ↑ Family Search; https://www.familysearch.org
14. ↑ Wikitree; https://www.wikitree.comRev.
15. ↑ Historical Marker Database; https://www.hmdb.org
16. ↑ Wikipedia; https://en.wikipedia.org
17. ↑ Kiddle; https://kids.kiddle.co
18. ↑ Plantation Bay Golf Club; https://plantationbaygolf.com