Near Sunrise Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale, the Bonnet House Museum and Gardens sits on 35 acres between the ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway.
The land for the house was a wedding gift from Chicago attorney Hugh Taylor Birch to his daughter, Helen Louise Birch, and son-in-law, Frederic Clay Bartlett, in 1919 - and the house was built in 1920. Bartlett was an artist, who - over the years - decorated and painted the house to make it as colorful and open as possible, with lots of yellow and blue hues, outdoor rooms, and space to display art, shells and flowers.
The family's value of conservation played a role in how Fort Lauderdale beach was preserved. It led to the creation of Hugh Taylor Birch State Park by the beach, near the open, eclectic property.
"He was very much a person interested in nature and conservation," CEO Patrick Shavloske said of Birch. "It's actually a pretty complex family. Everyone who was directly involved with Bonnet House was married three times, so there are a lot of different nuances."
Bonnet House is turning 100 in 2020. The house is using its Holiday Magic events, which start this Friday and last through next week, to kick off its centennial celebration.
"This is an invaluable treasure there's no other place like it in Fort Lauderdale, and the style is so unique, I think you can say there's no place like it in South Florida," Shavloske said.
It was Bartlett’s third wife, Evelyn, who worked to ensure the estate would be preserved, giving it to a nonprofit, The Florida Trust for Historic Preservation in Tallahassee, in 1983.
Yet, what the house's future looks like is currently in limbo. The Florida Trust has been seeking to take over full management of the property from the independent, Broward County-based board in recent months.
It's sparked outrage on social media and a campaign to #PreserveBonnetHouse.
Shavloske declined to comment on current negotiations going on between the trust and house.
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In the meantime the house will still celebrate its milestone of 100 colorful years.
Darla Stanton, the house's director of development, say she's hoping Friday's Christmas decor fundraiser will help put the local community in the holiday spirit.
"All of the proceeds will go towards maintenance, restoration and preservation of Bonnet House… we're really trying to get into the position where we are proactive instead of reactive," Stanton said, mentioning the nearly 20-year old roof. "There's a lot that goes into a 35-acre, 100-year-old home."
Correction: An earlier version of this story stated the land was gifted in 1920, when it was gifted in 1919 and the house was constructed in 1920. We regret the error.
