Admirers get look at Howey Mansion

HOWEY-IN-THE-HILLS — For the first time since purchasing the long-abandoned historic Howey Mansion in May, its new owners opened it up for a limited public viewing and fundraising event.

The behind-the-scenes Wine and Cheese Hard Hat Tour Thursday night was open to 30 people for a price of $150 each.

“I moved from Boca Raton to Leesburg 25 years ago and to learn my way around, I would drive all over and explore, and one day I found this place,” said Lee O’Donnell. “I didn’t know anything about its history, but I would always circle around it and sometimes I’d look over the wall just wishing I could find a way to go inside. I’m so glad to be here tonight.”

Lee’s husband, Steve O’Donnell, a photographer, became a fan when he looked at the mansion closely.

“Since then, I have been almost infatuated with it from a photography standpoint, though I’ve never had the opportunity to do a shoot here,” he said. “It’s beautiful, and now that’s it’s opening as a wedding venue, I may get the opportunity I’ve been waiting for.”

The mansion is now owned by Brad and Clay Cowherd of the Orlando-based Florida Oranges Land Company

Brad Cowherd said he is glad there is so much interest in the project.

“I am happy that we were able to share our progress with the community. We’ve had so many calls from people wanting to come inside,” Cowherd said.

Cowherd also promised at least two more viewings before the grand opening of the mansion as a bed-and-breakfast inn and wedding venue in January. There will also be another fundraiser open to the general public and a viewing strictly for Howey-in-the-Hills residents as a thank-you for their support and encouragement.

The Cowherds bought the mansion for $630,000 and set aside another $500,000 for renovations. Brad Cowherd said they have far exceeded their renovation budget.

Cowherd said all fundraiser proceeds will go toward the restoration. Already, however, the roof has been repaired, original floors cleaned to uncover color that had been hidden under grime, the exterior of the house brightened up and rid of all vines and weeds, the fountain in the courtyard fixed, air conditioning installed, floors and the main spiral staircase reinforced, marble walls touched up, original chandeliers shined and repaired and more.

“We’re in awe of the transformation we’ve been able to witness with the color of the walls and floors to discovering that the lighting fixtures left here are the originals and so beautiful. It’s been exciting,” said Christina Cowherd, Brad’s wife.

The mansion was built in 1925 by citrus grower William J. Howey, who purchased 60,000 acres in Lake County in 1916 and founded Howey-in-the-Hills.

Howey died in 1938, but his wife lived in the home until her death in 1981. It was bought by Marvel Zona in 1984, but after she encountered financial struggles, the home was foreclosed on in 2008 by Nationstar, the mortgage holder.

Its contents were sold off a couple of years ago, leaving the house, listed on the National Registry of Historic Places, empty and dark, broken into and vandalized.

In April, the home was put up for sale for $480,000, and in less than two weeks on the market, 10 interested buyers put in bids.

The Cowherds winning bid outlined a plan to restore the home to its original glory.

Howey-in-the-Hills Town Council members, who have secured a deal with the brothers to use the mansion for meetings and certain community events, approved a rezoning to allow for the uses intended by the Cowherds, but with special conditions for noise control, among other things.

Bridget and Jeffrey Freeman, the winners of a Facebook contest for free tickets to Thursday’s event, said they were amazed.

Jeffrey Freeman, a Eustis contractor, had fun exploring all the old architecture. His wife said she had visited the house 35 years ago and was in and out of it while Zona, a friend of hers, had owned it.

“I remember it a little darker and gloomier but still beautiful. All the work that’s been done to it makes it that much more beautiful,” Freeman said. “It’s like someone closed it up so many years ago and time froze, then years later opened it back up where they left off.”