DeBary Hall in the 1890’s (Florida Memory Image Number N044348)
A drive down Dirksen Drive in DeBary, Florida, reveals a quiet, winding road, flanked by large oaks. The neighborhood has ranch-style homes, common in Florida. It's typical for this part of Volusia County.
Unless you spot the inconspicuous sign, take Mansion Boulevard. It leads, via old streetlamps, to a grand plantation house on a hill. It's a sight so out of place that it transports you to a time when steamboats ruled the St. Johns and people gained and lost fortunes with the changing tide.
Walk up the front steps. You might never guess how tragic the story behind this house is or how it fits into Volusia's long memory.
Frederick de Bary, a wine importer for Mumm's Champagne, built DeBary Hall in 1871. He purchased land on high ground overlooking the north shore of Lake Monroe. At that time, Enterprise was the county seat of Volusia. The previous owner was Elijah Watson, who sold the land to Oliver and Amanda Arnett… who, in turn, sold the land to de Bary.
Drawing of DeBary Hall, 1885 — Florida Memory Image Number RC10551 In its day, this grand estate had some of the most modern amenities on the St. Johns. The 8,000 square-foot, lavish home had an elevator, running water, and a wired call system. It also boasted a lightning protection system that covered the roof.
DeBary Hall was a winter home and hunting lodge for the de Bary family and friends. Frederick was a great host. He spared no expense to comfort his guests. He even added extra rooms to the house to accommodate more partygoers with ease. His famous visitors included Presidents Grant and Cleveland, European royalty, and General Sherman.
Always an entrepreneur, de Bary purchased large tracts of land along Lake Monroe. This also included an area known as ‘Old Enterprise,' where a large shell midden once existed. The Grove’s Orange Midden, or the “Enterprise Midden," was one of many along the St. Johns River. Paleo-Indians who lived in Florida created these food piles thousands of years ago. Yet, research has shown these deposits were much more than discarded food. Ancient Floridians believed that shells served as sacred gateways to the underworld. Many middens, like the one at Old Enterprise, were burial grounds. Unfortunately, shells from the Enterprise Midden were used to pave local roads, including the orange groves at DeBary Hall.
In addition to planting oranges, de Bary built a packing house and invested in a steamboat line. The successful DeBary Merchants Line ran steamboats from Jacksonville to Enterprise. At the height of its success, de Bary had 13 ships making runs along the river.
It seemed his success in Florida was endless. We could imagine him sitting on the balcony at DeBary Hall, sipping tea and looking over the grounds. In his day, the landscape would have included a clear view all the way to Lake Monroe.
In the winter of 1894–95, tragedy struck Florida. Two hard freezes decimated its citrus industry and destroyed the de Bary orange groves. De Bary never replanted. Instead, he refocused on his steamboats. Yet, steamboating on the St. Johns was declining. The faster, safer railroad was making its way through the state.
Frederick de Bary died of a stroke in December 1898. His son Adolphe and daughter Eugenie inherited his fortune and DeBary Hall. Eugenie moved to Germany with her husband, Baron Hugo von Mauch.
Adolphe de Bary took over his father’s importing firm and the DeBary Merchant Line. Adolphe suffered the devastating loss of all four children. When he died in 1928, DeBary Hall passed to his grandchildren, Leonie de Bary Lyon and Adolphe de Bary Lyon.
Leonie and Adolphe also suffered premature deaths. Adolphe DeBary Lyon graduated in 1935 from Harvard College. On September 19, 1937, he went to a party with a group of friends. As the party left, a young woman began to cross a street and did not notice a car driving toward her. Adolphe rushed in front of the car and pushed the young woman out of the way. He was struck and killed instantly. He was twenty-three.
Adolphe's death made Leonie the sole heir of DeBary Hall. Her husband, Benjamin Brewster, was a childhood friend. Leonie was very fond of DeBary Hall and made renovations to it. She added a tennis court, new flooring, and a larger bathroom with a walk-in shower. Leonie and her husband loved flying and built a runway and a hangar on the property.
Leonie and Benjamin scheduled a flight from Long Island to Philadelphia on May 9, 1941. The couple ignored storm warnings. Their plane crashed into a mountain, killing them. Leonie was thirty-one and had no children.
After the couple's death, their European relatives showed little interest in the estate. In 1967, Florida bought DeBary Hall and leased it to various groups. The hall's condition deteriorated over time and finally stood vacant.
After 20 years of decay, the County of Volusia leased DeBary Hall. A massive restoration project began to bring the hall back to its original splendor. Today, DeBary Hall functions as a museum and learning center.
DeBary Hall as it looks today (From their official website)
Many people believe that DeBary Hall is haunted. Don Valente, a Volusia County parks supervisor, once felt a presence in the house during a visit. “Just walking inside has an eeriness to it. One time I went through the house with nobody there, and the doors opened by themselves, or they closed — and I mean slammed. And this was on a calm day."
DeBary Hall's tour guides tell similar tales. They say doors open and close by themselves. Footsteps echo on the second floor. Ghostly figures loom in windows.
There are also reports of guests seeing figures walking the grounds dressed in little to no clothing. Perhaps the spirits of ancient Floridians, displaced with the Old Enterprise shell mound?
In his book Haunting Sunshine, Jack Powell recounts a tale from a Canadian writer who once asked permission to spend the night at DeBary Hall. “Although her request was denied, she managed to sneak onto the grounds to spend the night on the porch. Late that night, she woke to a faint vibration within the floor beneath her. A loud moan sounded from within a few feet of her. She turned to look and saw a ‘pale, fleet movement through the window, gone before I could define it.’”
Ghosts or not, DeBary Hall's visitors attest to its power. It recalls a slower time of extreme fortune and tragedy. It clings to a small, fading part of old Florida.
You can visit DeBary Hall for a tour 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. Contact for rental information by calling: 386–668–3840 or visit their website.
Sources:
Powell, Jack. Haunting Sunshine. Pineapple Press Inc, 2001. Don’t Believe In Ghosts? A Visit To Debary Hall Could Change Your Mind, By Bo Poertner. The Sentinel Staff, October 24, 1997.
I am wondering where these additional buildings( packing house,airplane hangar) were located?
Ironically in the 1980’s originations ran haunted mansions each Halloween seasons as fundraiser. In those days the mansion was in disrepair and was perfect for the project. One actor even played the great granddaughter of Fredrick, spinning all types of tales.