Title:
Property with historic home on sale for $14.5 million
Accession#:
1996.01.00
Pubication Date:
6 January 2004
Call#:
AC—0109
Object ID:
AC—0109
Collection:
KSHS Articles and Clippings
Additional Notes & Full Text:
Text from the article:
Naples Daily News
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URL: http://www.naplesnews.com/npdn/bonitanews/article/0,2071,NPDN_14894_2554641,OO.html
Property with historic home on sale for $14.5 million
Conservation 2 020 committee to begin assessment as to whether county should purchase the Koreshan home, which was built in 1917
By CHAD GILLIS,
January 6,2004
One of south Lee County's most historic homes is up for grabs now that the Boomer family has offered to sell their 100-acre estate along the Estero River. The home was built in 1917 under the watch of Berthaldine Boomer, one of the original Koreshans, and has been passed down the family through the generations. Located on the southwest comer of U.S. 41 and B roadway, the home and property are being offered for public purchase for $14.5 million. The reclusive family has owned the property since the days of the Koreshans, a religious cult that sprang up along the banks of the Estero River during the late 1800s and floundered several decades later. Lee County will get the first crack at securing the Boomer home today when the matter goes before a committee of the Conservation 2020 program at 3 p.m. at 1500 Monroe St. in Fort Myers. Conservation 2020 is a willing-seller program that draws its money from property taxes. The committee makes recommendations for public purchases to county commissioners, who make the final decisions on all purchases. Today's meeting represents the initial review in a process that could take several months. "It got a very high score," said Conservation 2020 coordinator Lynda Riley. "The staff is recommending that it go before the full committee for consideration." There are currently several options for acquiring the land. The county could purchase the entire property or work with the state in a deal that would allow the estate portion of the Boomer property, roughly one-third of the entire parcel, to
be added to the Koreshan State Historic Site. Under that scenario, the county would maintain the natural sections of the
land while die state would be responsible for the historic home.
The Boomer home is directly across the Estero River from the historic site. Koreshan park manager Jon Robinson said the estate would be an ideal addition to the historic site because it's unique when compared with the park's other structures.
"I think it would be a nice benefit to the park because it was built by the Koreshans," Robinson said. "We dont have a large residence like that. Most of our buildings are utilitarian. It would be nice to see it preserved, although access to the home from the park would be difficult. But we definitely support it,"
Koreshan park contains several buildings on the northwest comer of U.S. 41 and Corkscrew Road and represents the
remaining settlement of the once thriving society.
It's not just the historic preservation aspect that has community members and park managers supporting the potential
purchase. Properties the size of the Boomer land are increasingly hard to find in coastal Southwest Florida.
"It's extremely vulnerable to development because of its location," Riley said. "I know for a fact that developers are
making offers to the Boomers."
Some Estero residents say preserving the land would benefit the community by adding more green space and park
lands as well as taking 100 acres off the development market.
"By having the public own the land, it would not attract another development that would add more cars to our
roadways," said Estero resident Don Eslick. "It would be eliminating a negative as well as creating a positive."
Mimi Straub, president of the Estero Historical Society, said she supports the public purchase as well, adding that a
split between county and state ownership and management would benefit the community and the state park system.
"It would be wonderful if the county and state could cooperate on the purchase," Straub said. "It's an exciting thing. It
really is a gem to be added to the Estero community."
Copyright 2004, Naples Daily News. All Rights Reserved.
Naples Daily News
To print this page/ select File then Print from your browser
URL: http://www.naplesnews.com/npdn/bonitanews/article/0,2071,NPDN_14894_2554641,OO.html
Property with historic home on sale for $14.5 million
Conservation 2 020 committee to begin assessment as to whether county should purchase the Koreshan home, which was built in 1917
By CHAD GILLIS,
January 6,2004
One of south Lee County's most historic homes is up for grabs now that the Boomer family has offered to sell their 100-acre estate along the Estero River. The home was built in 1917 under the watch of Berthaldine Boomer, one of the original Koreshans, and has been passed down the family through the generations. Located on the southwest comer of U.S. 41 and B roadway, the home and property are being offered for public purchase for $14.5 million. The reclusive family has owned the property since the days of the Koreshans, a religious cult that sprang up along the banks of the Estero River during the late 1800s and floundered several decades later. Lee County will get the first crack at securing the Boomer home today when the matter goes before a committee of the Conservation 2020 program at 3 p.m. at 1500 Monroe St. in Fort Myers. Conservation 2020 is a willing-seller program that draws its money from property taxes. The committee makes recommendations for public purchases to county commissioners, who make the final decisions on all purchases. Today's meeting represents the initial review in a process that could take several months. "It got a very high score," said Conservation 2020 coordinator Lynda Riley. "The staff is recommending that it go before the full committee for consideration." There are currently several options for acquiring the land. The county could purchase the entire property or work with the state in a deal that would allow the estate portion of the Boomer property, roughly one-third of the entire parcel, to
be added to the Koreshan State Historic Site. Under that scenario, the county would maintain the natural sections of the
land while die state would be responsible for the historic home.
The Boomer home is directly across the Estero River from the historic site. Koreshan park manager Jon Robinson said the estate would be an ideal addition to the historic site because it's unique when compared with the park's other structures.
"I think it would be a nice benefit to the park because it was built by the Koreshans," Robinson said. "We dont have a large residence like that. Most of our buildings are utilitarian. It would be nice to see it preserved, although access to the home from the park would be difficult. But we definitely support it,"
Koreshan park contains several buildings on the northwest comer of U.S. 41 and Corkscrew Road and represents the
remaining settlement of the once thriving society.
It's not just the historic preservation aspect that has community members and park managers supporting the potential
purchase. Properties the size of the Boomer land are increasingly hard to find in coastal Southwest Florida.
"It's extremely vulnerable to development because of its location," Riley said. "I know for a fact that developers are
making offers to the Boomers."
Some Estero residents say preserving the land would benefit the community by adding more green space and park
lands as well as taking 100 acres off the development market.
"By having the public own the land, it would not attract another development that would add more cars to our
roadways," said Estero resident Don Eslick. "It would be eliminating a negative as well as creating a positive."
Mimi Straub, president of the Estero Historical Society, said she supports the public purchase as well, adding that a
split between county and state ownership and management would benefit the community and the state park system.
"It would be wonderful if the county and state could cooperate on the purchase," Straub said. "It's an exciting thing. It
really is a gem to be added to the Estero community."
Copyright 2004, Naples Daily News. All Rights Reserved.
Author:
Gillis, Chad
Summary:
Article about sale of the Boomer home and land. Initial talks began on January 6, 2004 with "Conservation 2020" group in Lee County. Possible purchases include a joint purchase between Lee and the State of Florida.
Category:
8: Communication Artifact
Notes:
Also See: AC—0110
Object Name:
Newspaper
Subcategory:
Documentary Artifact
Phys Desc:
2 p.
Publisher:
Naples Daily News
Publication Place:
Naples, FL.
Subjects:
Boomer Family
Koreshan State Historic Site
Koreshan Unity Grounds
Mirasol Grove
Koreshan State Historic Site
Koreshan Unity Grounds
Mirasol Grove
PDF File Attachment:
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Boomer property - Naples Daily
Boomer property - Naples Daily