In 1845, Florida became a state. When it did, the U.S. federal government granted to the new state, various lands… including that which is now Phillippi Estate Park.
In 1881, the State of Florida, facing financial straits, sold 4 million acres of land to Philadelphia resident Hamilton Disston for $1 million, including that which is now Phillippi Estate Park. More about Mr. Disston’s real estate ventures here.
In 1883, W.J. Drumright bought 40 acres for $50 and developed the land for farming, citrus groves, and beekeeping.
Around 1910, father-and-son team, Geoge and Woodburn Matheny bought the land to develop in a subdivision… by the name of Phillippi Park.
In 1911 Mabel Linn, a socialite from Chicago, bought 8 lots for “$1 and other considerations” from the Mathenys. But, maybe, she changed her mind about building a home here, fearing she’d miss the spring jonquils of Illinois.
In 1915, Edson Keith Jr. of Chicago bought the parcel that is now Phillippi Estate Park from Mabel Linn for $7000. He was retiring and became, perhaps, one of the first transplanted residents who said “That’s not the way we do it Up North.”
History Day in the Park 
1 thought on “The Edson Keith Mansion: How It Came to Be. Part I: The Land”