LAKE COUNTY, Fla — Activists in Lake County want to restore a historic mansion that now sits empty in Howey-in-the-Hills.
The 20-room Howey mansion is nestled behind old trees on Citrus Avenue. The home was named after William J. Howey, who built a citrus empire and the town of Howey-in-the-Hills in the 20s.
"It's one of the most beautiful things you could possible see," said organizer Autumn Jacunski.
The mansion took two years to complete and had a price tag of $250,000. Numerous celebrities, politicians and even President Calvin Coolidge have visited the home.
When Howey passed away, the mansion was purchased by Marvel Zona and her late husband. Zona is now in a nursing home, and the mansion sits vacant and is going through litigation.
"It doesn't look so grand anymore. It looks like something that's falling apart that people just forgot about," said Jacunski.
Jacunski is the organizer of a group that wants to restore the home, but it's estimated to cost millions. The mansion is currently for sale and has even been listed on Craigslist in the past.
"(It's) hard to believe. Mr. Howey would roll his eyes if he knew that, because this was his gem," said historian Peggy Clark.
Jacunski said they would one day like to see weddings and conferences held at the mansion. There are also ideas of creating a museum and educational center.
"Our purposes were to have this place cleaned up so people could come here, so people could see what I saw when I was a kid," said Jacunski.
But the plans are on hold as the future of the mansion remains unclear. Leaders in the community agree that they want to see the mansion live on, but only in the right hands.
"I really hope we can get the state of Florida interested," said Clark.
WFTV
