Categories: History

The History of Strawberry Mansion, Historic District, Melbourne, Florida

When my parents were still living, we gathered the family and had a wonderful meal at Melbourne Florida’s Strawberry Mansion. As a genealogist I tend to like to gaze at old houses, enjoy it immensely when I get to enter one, and, of course, like roaming through cemeteries. The Queen Anne style Strawberry Mansion definitely fit my yearning to enter a charming old home, turned restaurant. The restaurant opened in 1981. Took a bit for us to finally enjoy its ambience and menu, but we finally were guests at this unique home.

Strawberry Mansion, built in 1905, was the home of John B. and Nannie McBride Lee who came to Melbourne in the prior year from Albion NY. Nannie Lee enjoyed their winter residence where she hosted all things community; such as, Congregational Church doings, civic functions, and just plain entertaining socially, including cool and yummy ice cream socials. As a residence it was named “The Terrace” by the Lees.

For a long time the closest neighbor to the Lees was Claude Beaujean who ran the ferry from the mainland’s Melbourne Harbor to Melbourne Beach, a nearby barrier island. The Lees hired Claude for his woodworking talents to build parts of their three story mansion. Claude, a boat builder and carpenter, embraced projects involving the staircase, gingerbread trim, and the bay window and perhaps many others which were similarly ornate. The house was so sturdily built that it served as a hurricane shelter when the Lees resided there. It was only a short time before the Lees moved to Florida and it became their permanent residence.

Nannie Lee: Nannie McBride was born in Clark County, IL in 1847. She married John Lee in 1894, at the age of 47. Nannie died in Melbourne in 1929 at the age of 82. Nannie and John had an adopted daughter, Lillie Ruth Kiar, born on Christmas Day in 1892 in ND and died 45 years later on Christmas Day in 1937 in Melbourne, FL where she had suffered from breast cancer.

Nannie Lee’s Strawberry Mansion: By 1975 the house had been vacant for a long period, was purchased and restoration began. The house became the amazingly pink Nannie Lee’s Strawberry Mansion in 1981. It was, and is, located at 1218 E New Haven Avenue just one street over from the Main Street of the Historic District of Downtown Melbourne. My family and I enjoyed our festive meal on the second floor of the mansion, overlooking the Historic District. Strawberry Mansion closed in 2006. Attached to the mansion was Mr. Beau Jeans Bar and Grill. I do not recall this part on our outing.

Reopened as The Mansion of Melbourne in 2011: Now the home has been hugely renovated and the Mr. Beau Jeans and the Mansion establishments are joined with a beautiful outdoor eating area. The building is no longer pink; it is white. There is a lovely upper deck with a great Indian River view and they serve all types of beer, including service at the outdoor beer garden with picnic tables. The canon that was set upon the lawn of Strawberry Mansion still graces the property.

Ghosts: When people think of old houses, they often wonder about ghosts being present. There are local urban legends that this piece of Melbourne history is haunted, but these are only talk to the best of my knowledge.

Sweet memories of Strawberry Mansion. Thanks.