The Howey Mansion

For nearly a decade, one of Lake County’s most striking historic homes sat vacant, its future uncertain.

Today, the Howey Mansion is alive again with weddings, tours, concerts and community celebrations, thanks to brothers Brad and Clay Cowherd, who purchased the deteriorating estate in 2017 and undertook an extensive restoration.

The Mediterranean Revival mansion built in 1925 by citrus pioneer/land developer and Howey-in-the-Hills founder William J. Howey was designed by pioneering architect Katherine Cotheal Budd. The 7,200-square-foot home, built for Howey, his wife, Grace and their two daughters, has 24 rooms and was situated on a 15-acre estate amid more than 1,500 varieties of plants, an experimental citrus grove, carriage house, stables and a gardener’s cottage.

The Cowherds saw more than a neglected house vacant for nearly a decade when they took a close look at the property; they saw a piece of Florida history worth saving.

“When we bought it, it was in a pretty good state of disrepair,” Brad says. “But it really has come to life.”

The restoration preserved the mansion’s distinctive character, from its grand staircase and pecky cypress doors to its courtyard fountain, drawing room and hidden Prohibition-era vault.

The home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and recently received a double-sided Florida historical marker honoring both the mansion and William Howey.

Today, historic tours allow visitors to explore all 24 rooms. The property also hosts three to five weddings a week, along with meetings, birthday parties, concerts and town events.

“It’s so fun to be a part of everyone’s life like that,” Brad says.

Estate manager Fran O’Keefe says local residents share a special sense of ownership and watch over the property, support its events and help protect its history.

“We don’t preserve the Howey Mansion to make a profit,” she says. “We work hard to make a profit to preserve the Howey Mansion.”

Brad calls the estate “Howey-in-the-Hills’ living room,” aka, a gathering place that honors the town’s past while continuing to create new memories. “It’s fun to be such an integral part of the community, and that we were able to preserve such a really neat piece of Florida’s history is a great honor.”