Tuckahoe (Jensen Beach, Florida) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Tuckahoe
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Front View of Tuckahoe on Mount Elizabeth
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| Location | 1707 N.E. Indian River Drive, Jensen Beach, Florida |
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| Built | 1938 |
| NRHP reference No. | 05001339 |
| Added to NRHP | November 30, 2005 |
Tuckahoe, also known as the Leach Mansion or the Mansion at Tuckahoe, is a historic house in Jensen Beach. You can find it at 1921 North East Indian River Drive in Martin County, Florida. The name "Tuckahoe" is believed to be a Native American word meaning "welcome."
This special house is located inside Indian RiverSide Park. It sits on top of the Mount Elizabeth Archeological Site, which is an important historical place. The Mount Elizabeth site was added to the National Register of Historic Places on September 14, 2002. Later, on November 30, 2005, Tuckahoe itself was also added to this list of important places. A group called the Halpatiokee Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution placed a special plaque on the building on November 4, 2010.
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Tuckahoe's Story Through Time
Tuckahoe was built in 1938. It was the home of Willaford Ransom Leach and his wife, Anne Winship (Bates) Leach. Anne Leach was an heiress to the famous Coca-Cola company.
A Hub for Social Life
The house sat on a large property, about 54 acres, with beautiful riverfront land and green lawns. Tuckahoe quickly became a very popular place for parties and social events in Martin County. Many local people and even soldiers from nearby Camp Murphy during World War II enjoyed gatherings there.
Mrs. Leach was also very active in her community. She helped start The Garden Club. She also gave money to build the first building for the well-known Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Miami.
New Owners and New Uses
The Leach family lived in Tuckahoe until 1950. They then moved to Palm Beach and sold the property. The new owners were the Sisters of St. Joseph, a religious group from St. Augustine.
The Sisters added two new parts to the building, like dormitories. They used the property for their novitiate, which is where new members train. They also moved their college, Saint Joseph College of Florida, to Tuckahoe. In 1957, the novitiate moved to a different location. The college then became a regular liberal arts college.
From College to County Property
The college at Tuckahoe closed in May 1972. The campus, including the mansion, was then sold to Florida Institute of Technology. This school, often called FIT, used the Leach Mansion as its main office building for its Jensen Beach Campus.
FIT closed its Jensen Beach campus in 1986. The property was sold to a land developer. Eventually, in 1997, Martin County bought the property.
Restoring a Treasure
Tuckahoe was not used for several years after the county bought it. But in 2009, a group called the Friends of Mount Elizabeth finished a big project to restore the mansion. The architect for this project was Bert Bender from Key West.
The renovated mansion now has eight floors and is designed in an Art Deco style. It includes a special wedding suite with a room for the groom, a kitchen for catering, and a large banquet room. The renovations also added terraces next to the building and an outdoor amphitheater for performances.
Since the restoration was completed in 2009, Tuckahoe has become a very popular place for weddings in Martin County. You can also arrange a tour of the facility by making an appointment.
