Gamble Plantation Historic State Park

Infobox_protected_area | name = Gamble Plantation Historic State Park
iucn_category = V

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caption =
locator_x = 226
locator_y = 157
location = Manatee County, Florida, USA
nearest_city = Bradenton, Florida
lat_degrees = 27
lat_minutes = 31
lat_seconds = 34
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 82
long_minutes = 31
long_seconds = 47
long_direction = W
area =
established =
visitation_num =
visitation_year =
governing_body = Florida Department of Environmental Protection

Gamble Plantation Historic State Park is a Florida State Park located in Ellenton, Florida on US 301. It consists of an antebellum mansion that was the home of Major Robert Gamble and 16 acres of the surrounding sugar plantation.

History

The mansion was built by Major Robert Gamble on land granted to him under the terms of the Armed Occupation Act. The back portion of the house was built first, with little attention to aesthetics. Gamble's priority was to get the house built to provide protection from the elements and the possibility of attack by Indians. After quickly completing the back portion, Gamble added on the front section of the mansion, with far more focus on appearance. The columns in the front are an example of the Doric Revivalist Vernacular style, and are constructed (as is much of the house) out of Tabby, which is a mixture of locally available materials including burnt oyster shells (which acts as a sort of mortar, holding the mixture together). During the time that Gamble was at the plantation, he ran up $190,000 in debt, partly due to plummeting sugar prices caused by the availability of cheaper imports. He sold the property to satisfy the debts and moved to north Florida with all of the furniture from the mansion. When he arrived in north Florida, Gamble placed the furniture in a warehouse, which burnt down 13 hours later. Consequently, none of the furniture in the mansion is original, although much of it is from the time period and represents the type of furniture that would have likely been in the house.

After Gamble left, Captain Archibald McNeill, a famous Confederate blockade runner, moved into the mansion. In May of 1865, the Confederate Secretary of State, Judah P. Benjamin took refuge in the home after the fall of the Confederacy. After falling into disrepair in the early 1900s, the house and 16 acres were purchased by the United Daughters of the Confederacy in 1925 and donated to the State of Florida. The mansion was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on August 12, 1970.

Recreational Activities

The park offers tours and has picnic tables. The picnic tables are open from 12:00 to 5:00 on Mondays through Thursdays but are closed on Fridays.The visitor center is open from 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Thursday through Monday; it is closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day.

References and external links

* [http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/FL/Manatee/state.html Manatee County listings] at [http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com National Register of Historic Places]
* [http://www.flheritage.com/facts/reports/places/Counties/Manatee.cfm Manatee County listings] at [http://www.flheritage.com Florida's Office of Cultural and Historical Programs]
* [http://www.floridastateparks.org/gambleplantation/default.cfm Gamble Plantation Historic State Park] at [http://www.floridastateparks.org Florida State Parks]
* [http://www.abfla.com/parks/GamblePlantation/gambleplantation.html Judah P. Benjamin Confederate Memorial at Gamble Plantation State Historic Site] at [http://www.abfla.com Absolutely Florida]
* [http://areas.wildernet.com/pages/area.cfm?areaID=FLSPGAPL&CU_ID=1 Gamble Plantation Historic State Historic Site] at [http://www.wildernet.com Wildernet]

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