Dunedin Kellogg Mansion To Live On In Virtual Presentation

DUNEDIN, FL — After standing watch like a giant pink beacon along 295 of water frontage on St. Joseph Sound for nearly 100 years, it took only days for bulldozers to reduce the Kellogg Mansion to rubble.

Despite discussions by the Dunedin City Commission and historic groups on ways to save the mansion, the 1925 7,700-square-foot Mediterranean Revival estate inspired by renowned architect Addison Cairns Mizer is no more.

Dunedin's residents, however, had one last chance to look around the mansion when its owners, Palm Harbor physician Dr. David Wenk and his wife, Chrissy, in conjunction with the Dunedin History Museum, held a semiformal farewell party at the landmark at 129 Bueno Vista Drive near downtown Dunedin.

The $200-per-guest event, titled "The Last Hurrah," took place Nov. 6. Guests were given access to two of the mansion's three floors and its terrace, featuring unobstructed views of Caledisi and Honeymoon islands. They also had a chance to bid on a number of fixtures salvaged from the historic home.

According to the history museum, the estate, featuring five bedrooms and 6 1/2 bathrooms, was built over several years by Detroit businessman Edward Frischkorn, who developed Dunedin Isles around the same time.

In 1929, Frischkorn sold the estate to shoe manufacturing executive Austin Selz.

But it wasn't until 1934 when the founder of the Kellogg's cereal company in Battle Creek, Michigan, W.K Kellogg, and his wife, Carrie, bought the estate that it acquired the name, the Kellogg Mansion, although the Kelloggs only spent two winters there.

In 1935, Kellogg donated the house to a foundation and, on Dec. 31, 1942, the foundation leased the property to the U.S. Marine Corps. The Marines used the property to train with the Roebling amphibious vehicles used in the Pacific and Europe during World War II.

The Marines would pilot the vehicles, nicknamed "Alligators," from Dunedin Isles and practice landings on Honeymoon Island.

In 1946, the foundation sold the estate to William I. and Caroline Nolan. The estate exchanged hands a few more times until newspaper publisher William Matthew purchased the mansion in 1964.

The elaborately decorated home — bordering on gaudy — featured a clash of styles — Moorish arches, classical columns, a curved Rococo-style ceiling, Italian marble floors and bathtubs, hand-painted Moroccan-style mosaic tile work, French ornamental ironwork, a Spanish-style curved staircase, hand-carved coffered wood ceilings, Art Nouveau stained-glass windows and secret passageways reminiscent of a Medieval castle.

Click here to see more than 20 photos of the interior and exterior of the Kellogg Mansion.

Matthew played up the mansion's garish features, adding a disco with lighting designed by '60s pop artist Peter Max and a planetarium ceiling that opened by remote control, so party guests could dance to the music of Donna Summer and KC & the Sunshine Band beneath the stars.

Matthew also commissioned painter Don Ringelspaugh, whose flamboyant works once graced the famous Kapok Tree restaurant in Clearwater, to paint murals throughout the mansion, including Egyptian-style frescoes and an elaborate peacock.

Over the years, the mansion inspired more than its share of tall tales.

Rumor had it that James Bond actor Sean Connery spent time in the mansion's guest house, which featured a poker room and over-the-top bar where Connery sipped martinis (shaken, not stirred).

Also unsubstantiated, Matthew supposedly used wood salvaged from Thomas Jefferson's Monticello estate to build cabinets and the canopy bed in the master bedroom.

By the time Palm Harbor physician David Wenk purchased the estate last year for $4.5 million, it had been sitting empty for years.

It had water damage, mold and possibly asbestos in the walls and ceilings. The four fireplaces needed repointing, the roof begged for repairs, and the estate's decorative bell tower had deteriorated. Wenk said the cost of repairing the estate would have been prohibitive.

The nonprofit Pinellas Community Foundation and city commission briefly considered purchasing the property or relocating the mansion or its guest house. an effort that could cost up to $900,000.

"After exhaustively pursuing all possibilities, physical preservation was proven unattainable, said Duggan Cooley, CEO of the foundation.

Relocation was equally daunting, he said.

"The cost in the millions of obtaining available land, moving the 18-inch masonry walled buildings (estimated to cost up to $900,000), renovation, operations, staffing and maintenance is unfeasible," he said.

So, in June, Dunedin city commissioners reluctantly agreed to allow the mansion to be demolished with the provision that certain fixtures be removed and auctioned to benefit the Dunedin History Museum.

The Wenks also agreed to work with the Dunedin Historic Preservation Advisory Committee, the foundation and history museum to preserve the memory of the mansion through extensive photo documentation and by saving artifacts from the home.

The foundation has launched a campaign to raise funds to create a virtual tour of the home, raising $33,742 of the $65,000 needed.

"As a community, we faced unearthing a novel alternative to chronicle the landmark's incredible significance and set meaningful history straight," Cooley said. "The answer before us is a more remarkable and unprecedented 3D public access utilizing ultra-modern technology at a fraction of the cost."

The proposed digital presentation will include:

• Photorealistic 3D renderings of the Mediterranean Revival-style architecture.
• Stories and oral histories
• Interactive audio-video presentations.
• The mansion's role in World War II
• Renderings of later-century eccentric renovations.

City Commissioner Jeff Gow became emotional during the discussion of the fate of the mansion and ways to keep its memory alive.

"I hope the buyers understand the effort that we went through, the passion, care, concern, the love we have for the home," he said. " The money we are spending, the technology we are using that you can only find in the Louvre, is the representation of that passion and love that we have."

"It will be sad to be out on the water and not see the big pink house," agreed Mayor Julie Bujalski. "It's going to be a big gaping hole."

At the same time, she said she's glad the city was able to reach a compromise with the home's owners that everyone can live with.

"The ability to come together like that, it's a special thing," Bujalski said. "I hope people see it is an example of who we are. We may not always get everything we want, but we figure out a way to come together and make it happen, and that's special to me. Because that's who we are."

Residents can learn more about the virtual exhibit or make a donation by clicking here or by visiting FundRazr.