The Florida Trust for Historic Preservation is taking over management of the historic Bonnet House, ousting the nonprofit that has operated the beachfront estate for nearly three decades.
The two entities clashed over the vision for the property’s future, said Executive Director Melissa Wyllie of the Florida Trust, which owns the 35-acre expanse.
It’s unclear how current operations will be affected.
The Trust’s decision starts a 180-day period in which management of the community gem will be transferred, Wyllie said.
“What our board would like is for them to say we understand, [and that] we, too, want what’s best for the Bonnet House,” she said.
Since the early 1990s, the estate has been operated by the nonprofit Bonnet House Inc.
The museum and gardens, at 900 Birch Road, is on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. The idyllic property hosts weddings and visitors year-round.
The events calendar lists outdoor concerts, tours, orchid potting lessons, watercolor and acrylic workshops and much more.
“Be magically transported to the beginning of the 20th Century and the days of gracious living, charm and whimsy when Florida was one of the nation’s last frontier outposts,” the tourist attraction’s website touts.
The CEO is Patrick Shavloske, whom Wyllie praised. Shavloske was notified by certified mail Thursday afternoon of the Trust’s decision, Wyllie said.
According to the Trust, the decision was made after Bonnet House “could not identify a satisfactory and economically feasible way forward for the organization that focused on the preservation of both the historic home and the undeveloped land included with the estate. This stretch of land from the Atlantic to the Intracoastal Waterway is the last undeveloped ocean-front land in Ft. Lauderdale.”
The Trust said that Bonnet House Inc. “has no ownership claim to the Bonnet House property.”
The Trust and its partner have been at odds over the past year, Wyllie said, and have irreconcilable differences.
She declined to go into detail about the clash but said the Trust is concerned about “deferred maintenance” of the property, as well as its future as an undeveloped community asset.
Bonnet House Inc. had no plans to develop part of the property, but Wyllie said the idea had been mentioned.
“That is a crucial factor for us,” she said, citing the wishes of the original owners.
Artist Frederic Clay Bartlett and his second wife, Helen Louise Birch — daughter of Hugh Taylor Birch — began construction of the Bonnet House in 1920. His third wife, Evelyn Fortune Bartlett, donated it to the Florida Trust in 1983.
Wyllie said the Trust would like a seamless transition, including keeping as many employees as possible. The Trust does not know how many people are employed at the estate — a sign of the friction between it and Bonnet House Inc.
“There’s such expertise there we don’t want to lose,” she said. “What they have are a tremendous amount of volunteers. We’d love to have them all continue to stay.”
On the Bonnet House board, which would be disbanded, are a host of community leaders and businesspeople, including lawyer-lobbyist Stephanie Toothaker, lawyer-activist Maxine Streeter and developer Tim Hernandez. Chairman of the board is William O’Leary Jr.
This story will be updated. Check back for more information.
Brittany Wallman can be reached at bwallman@sun-sentinel.com or 954-356-4541. Find her on Twitter @BrittanyWallman.