Victorian Mansion in Daytona Beach may be Preserved

Lilian Place, a Victorian-era mansion that is the oldest home on the beachside, is showing signs of age and neglect. Termites gnaw its interior, water leaks through its walls and the exterior paint is chipping.

One of Daytona Beach's early settlers, Laurence Thompson, built Lilian Place in 1884, naming it after his spinster sister. Its most famous houseguest, Stephen Crane, recuperated there after surviving a shipwreck on New Year's Eve 1896. His ship, the Commodore, sank off Ponce Inlet, and Crane and three other men escaped in a small dinghy. One man died. Crane used that experience to write his short story, "The Open Boat."

Lilian Place remained a private residence until 2002, when a New York couple, Michael and Suzanne Riccitiello, restored it and converted it into a bed and breakfast. After the restoration, the property was appraised at more than $2.3 million.

After Suzanne Riccitiello died, the bed and breakfast closed and Michael Riccitiello returned to New York. The property has been on the market since 2006, and several potential deals have fallen through. Although the building has deteriorated, the house could be restored through a $200,000 to $300,000 facelift. The property is in a New York foreclosure, but bank officials agreed to a short sale of the property, even though it would mean a $1 million loss.

The Volusia County Council will vote on whether to spend $425,595 to buy the home from the bank and allow a local group to run it as a museum. Funds would come from Volusia's ECHO program, a property-tax-based fund approved by voters in 2000 that provides grants for environmental, cultural, historic, or outdoor projects.

Nancy Long, president of the Heritage Preservation Trust Inc. in Daytona Beach, said, "It has such a significant history, it has the most beautiful setting on the river and it is so impressive with its Victorian architecture...It even has its own ghost," referring to "Lucille," the legendary ghost said to inhabit the mansion.

Daytona Beach has history and wildlife and southern mansions, as well as modern amentities. Want to see what's for sale? Browse the MLS listings on my web page, and find condos for sale on the Daytona Condo page. Then contact me to set up previews for you. It's a great place to call home.

Sherry Armstrong, Realtor
386-679-3191
yourkeytothebeach@gmail.com
www.sherryarmstrong.com

(resource: Orlando Sentinel)