Lippincott Mansion - Melrose Hall, Ormond Beach Florida

Date added: November 10, 2023 Categories: Florida House Mansion

View from Southeast corner of Central and Beach Streets (1983)

The Lippincott Mansion is located in Ormond Beach, Florida, a community whose origins date from the British Period. Its early development is associated with James Ormond I, a British planter who became a Spanish subject and received a land grant in the vicinity of Tomoka State Park during the first years of the 19^th century. On his grant, Ormond established "Damietto", a plantation typical of those established in the vicinity of Ormond during the Second Spanish Period (1784-1821) and the early years of the United States Territorial Period (1821-1845). The plantation economy of the Ormond Beach area and other areas of East Florida was largely destroyed during the Second Seminole War (1835-1842). Settlement and the economic development of the area was minimal until 1873 when the immigrant colony of New Britian was established. In 1880 the New Britain settlement was incorporated as a town and renamed Ormond for James Ormond I.

The character of Ormond Beach was established during the 1880s when a wooden bridge was constructed from the mainland portion of the town across the Halifax River to the Peninsula. The bridge allowed the construction of the Ormond Hotel which opened in 1888 and which became a magnet for wealthy northerners who visited Ormond Beach and often became seasonal or year-round residents. Among the winter residents of Ormond were John D. Rockfeller and J.P. Morgan. Because of the wealthy individuals and families who chose to visit, settle or retire there, the attained a level of social prominence distinct from the rest of Volusia County.

Anne and Harriet Lippincott were typical of the wealthy northerners who settled in Ormond Beach during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. They came from Amherst, New Hampshire and, although information about them is sketchy, apparently they were members of a family of social prominence and financial means. Anne Lippincott purchased the property on which the building is located in 1894 and later sold a half interest to her sister Harriet. They completed the construction of the house shortly thereafter. They were members of the Village Improvements Association, the leading civic organization in Ormond Beach, and held several formal receptions at their home.

In 1899, the Lippincotts sold the house to William Scobie, another socially prominent resident of Ormond Beach. As an example of their social prominence and their civic activism the Scobies gave a formal reception for the State Federation of Woman's Clubs on January 28^th and 29^th, 1903 during the course of its annual meeting.

Beyond its association with individuals important in the social history of Ormond Beach, the Lippincott Mansion has architectural significance. It is architecturally unique in Ormond Beach. It is the most massive, richly designed residence in Ormond Beach dating from the late 19^th 'century. It is not a pure example of an academic style, but rather an eclectic design incorporating a number of stylistic influences, including Romanesque Revival, Queen Anne, and classical features. The Romanesque Revival influence is illustrated by the massive tower on the south side of the building which boldly defines its south elevation. The Queen Anne influence is manifested by the irregular massing of the building and its variety of materials and textures. Moreover, its classical detailing reflects a transitional building in the movement from the eclectic architecture of the late nineteenth century to the classical influence of the early twentieth century. Its massive and distinctive architecture as well as the individuals, 4 with whom it was associated, reflect an important period in the historical development of Ormond Beach.

Building Description

The Lippincott Mansion is located on a 1.25-acre lot near the Halifax River in the small coastal community of Ormond Beach, Florida. It is a three-story balloon-frame residential building with a weatherboard and shingle exterior fabric. Its massiveness and architectural detailing place it among the most impressive private residences in Ormond Beach. Its design reflects the influence of late nineteenth-century eclectic architecture in Florida and incorporates features associated with a variety of styles including Queen Anne and Romanesque Revival. It is in need of basic maintenance and has been altered mainly as a result of the modernization of its plumbing and electrical systems. Otherwise, it retains virtually all of its original design and individual architectural features.

The Lippincott Mansion is situated on a lot near the Halifax Rivers. The property includes riparian rights to the water lots on the river and is bisected by South Beach Street, one of the principal transportation arteries in Ormond Beach. The exterior plan of the building is rectangular and slightly irregular with the east elevation, one of the short sides of the rectangle, oriented in direct line with the river.

The building itself is detached and rises 24 stories in height. It rests on a foundation of concrete piers and has a balloon-frame structural system. It has a hip roof which is broken by a number of secondary roof structures including several types of dormers, a tower and a bay window. The exterior fabric of the building varies, using both weatherboard and wooden butt shingles in a staggered pattern. The roof is composed of asbestos shingles over most of the building with a standing seam copper roof over the tower. It was originally covered with cedar shakes. Windows are numerous to facilitate cooling the building and to take advantage of the sea breezes that characterize the area. They are double-hung sash with a 1 over 1 light pattern. Each of the four elevations has similar materials and design characteristics, but each also has unique features that distinguish it from the others.

The north elevation is eleven bays wide on the first floor and six bays wide on the second and upper half story. It is the location of the main entrance to the building. The entrance is reached by a set of three poured concrete stairs leading to a wooden porch. The porch is partially covered by a shed roof with gable ends featuring staggered butt shingles. It is supported by turned posts resting on plinth. Each post is crowned with a Corinthian capital. The second floor is defined by a sill that separates the weatherboard siding of the first floor from the shingle exterior of the second. Above the heads of the second-story windows is a molding that separates the shingle fabric from an unbroken frieze below the roof line. The roof line consists of a crown with very delicate dentil molding. The upper half-story is expressed by two hipped dormers, a bay window opening to a railed deck, and a shed dormer. An offset chimney is located within the interior of the roof on its front slope. The roof covering on the north elevation consists of asbestos shingles.

The east elevation, facing the Halifax River, is four bays wide on the first story, five on the second, and one on the upper half story. It, too, contains many of the features of the north elevation, including a shed roof porch, porch posts with classical features, a weatherboard exterior fabric on the first floor, and butt shingles on the second. Two windows on this elevation are distinctive. The center window on the second story rests on a classical frieze and contains lattice work in the top light. An arched dormer is located on the upper half story. It contains three grouped windows separated by pilasters and topped by a lunette.

The south elevation is nine bays wide on the first and second stories and six on the upper half. The most distinguishing feature of this elevation is the round tower near the southeast corner of the building. It is completely covered with butt shingles and is topped by a conical standing seam, copper roof. Another unusual feature of the elevation is the gable dormer with the imbricated shingle exterior. Two hip dormers, placed on either side of the tower, complete the composition of the upper half story.

The west elevation is three bays wide on the first story, three on the second, and two on the upper half story. The pattern of weatherboard on the first story exterior and shingles on the upper stories is repeated. The distinguishing feature of the west elevation is a full gable covered with shingles, with returns and dentil molding. The gable is broken by two windows. An enclosed porch, which might originally have been a summer kitchen, is the other noteworthy feature of the west elevation.

The formal entrance to the interior of the building is on the north side. The entrance is located beneath a porch which was once enclosed with latticework. The entranceway consists of a double door followed by a small vestibule and a Dutch door that opens into the house proper. Window seats are built in on either side of the vestibule.

Beyond the entranceway is a parlor with a large cantilevered pine stairway on the right side. On the left side of the parlor is a fireplace. The wooden mantle has been stolen, but the scarring that remains has been carefully analyzed. It shows that the mantle consisted of a real and false mantle supported by columns on either side. A mirror appears to have filled the space in between.

At the far end of the parlor is the rounded interior of the tower. Within the tower is a continuous window seat extending from one wall to the other. Two additional rooms are located beside the parlor on the left of the entranceway. Both rooms look out toward the Halifax River and Beach Street, the best road along the river at the time that the building was constructed. They are interconnected, and both have pocket doors opening to the parlor. The pocket doors are original and still functional. The other room of note on the first floor is the formal dining room which is located to the right of the entranceway. It, too, is connected to the parlor by a pocket door. The spacious parlor and the rooms that flank it could accommodate dancing, dining, and formal entertaining for large groups. The upper floors are primarily bedrooms and bathrooms used as living quarters for the family and servants.

The woodwork and hardware of the interior are noteworthy. The first-floor window trim consists of pine cut in a classical design. The windows of the upper stories are trimmed in fluted pine with corner blocks. The second and third-story windows are trimmed in fluted pine with corner insets and are generally in good condition.

The main staircase is pine, and the columns supporting it are crocketed and fluted suggesting a Corinthian capital. Finally, almost all of the house still retains the original brass hardware.