Although people don't usually think of Florida
when they envision the South before the War Between the States, many plantations
were established and prospered there.
Most, however, were located in North Florida and the Panhandle. The sparsely settled
peninsula created such difficulties with obtaining supplies and shipping product
that few settlers were willing to take the risk. One man up to the challenge was
Major Robert Gamble.
In 1844 Major Gamble, a veteran of the Second Seminole War, decided to settle in
the area of the Manatee River and establish a sugar plantation there. Leaving his
brother's successful plantation in Tallahassee, Gamble purchased 3,500 fertile acres
northeast of what is now Bradenton. His plantation soon successfully produced sugar
cane, molasses, citrus, grapes and olives, which were shipped to New Orleans. The
mansion he built as his plantation home became the showplace of the area. Designed
with hot Florida
summers in mind, the red brick and tabby walls of the Greek
revival mansion are nearly two feet thick. Strategically placed windows and a breezeway
between wings let in cross breezes, and the home features upper and lower verandas
that extend around three sides of the structure. Unable to sink wells due to the
high amount of salt and sulpher in the groundwater, Gamble set up an elaborate water
catching system that survives to this day. Rain was collected from gutters and funneled
to a building with a capacity of 40,000 gallons. Although Gamble had good years,
bad years due to hurricanes and fires caused him to sell the estate in 1856.
During the Civil War, Union soldiers destroyed the sugar mill, perhaps for the scrap
metal. As the Confederacy collapsed, Judah P. Benjamin, its Secretary of State,
hid out at the mansion for three days during his attempt to avoid capture by soldiers.
He later successfully fled to England and became a prominent barrister. Following
the war, the mansion was sold to the Patten family. A second, smaller home was built
on the property for Major Patten's son, which is also open to tours. The Pattens
fell on hard times, and a fertilizer company acquired the property for back taxes.
The low point in the majestic home's history was reached in 1920, when the company
used the structure to store manure. The Daughters of the Confederacy saved the property
in 1925, and restored the home to its former grandeur.
Today, visitors to Gamble Plantation State Historic Site
can tour the beautiful mansion and grounds. The Patten House, an excellent example
of a pioneer Florida farmhouse, is also open to the public. A visitor center features
exhibits on Florida's antebellum and pioneer periods, and a picnic area is located
on the beautifully landscaped grounds.
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