 Historic tours are conducted
the first Tuesday of the month at 10 a.m. from October
through April.
Manasota Indians roamed the shores of Phillippi
Creek from 500 BC to 800 AD to fish, hunt game, and gather wild
plants. Today the park protects an Indian midden and other
archeological deposits on the property.
Modern history for the area began in 1847 when
the Army Corps of Engineers mapped the southwest Florida coast
and noted Felipe Bermudez’ rancho near the creek. Felipe Bermudez
was a Spaniard who hunted and fished along these shores,
shipping fish and wild hogs back to Cuba. Felipe Bermudez’s
first name was anglicized to “Phillippi,” which gave the creek
and surrounding area its present name.
In 1916 Edson and Nettie Keener Keith purchased this
60-acre tract and moved from Chicago to live on the property
year-round. Mr. Keith commissioned the Chicago architectural
firm of Otis and Clark to design his Italian Renaissance
Mansion.
 The first
building erected on the property was a clapboard, two-story
farmhouse where
it is believed
Edson Keith lived while he
oversaw the construction of his elegant home.
Edson and
Nettie were members of the "Chicago Colony", a group or
prominent mid-western families who spent at least part of the
year in southwest Florida. Unlike most members, the Keiths lived
here year-round.
The second owner of the estate was Mae Hansen Prodie, also from
Chicago. She owned the Mae Marie company and created the concept of a
wardrobe for Barbie dolls. Mae’s husband, Charlie Prodie,
a retired Walgreen's executive, oversaw the Phillippi Plantation Restaurant and Inn, serving
meals in the living and dining rooms of the Mansion. Upstairs
rooms as well as rooms in the farmhouse and laundry were
converted into overnight accommodations.
After Mae
Prodie’s death in 1986, Sarasota County funded a referendum and
purchased the estate for $5.2 million. Sarasota County Parks
and Recreation started major improvements and added amenities to
the open areas of the estate, including a gazebo, nature trails,
fishing piers and canoe/kayak launch.
Today the Mansion
serves as a gathering place for county meetings, civic and
community events, as well as art exhibits, cultural events,
weddings and private parties.
The Mansion is listed on
the National Register of Historic Places and opened to the
public in 1991.
The Farmhouse
is one of the few still existing wood-frame structures from the
early 1900's and it is
scheduled for renovations.
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