Field Manor Tour takes visitors back to the days of the first settlers

The Carolers entertain guests on the front porch of Field Manor, which will be part of a vacation tour of historic homes again this year. SCOTT LEVIN

Field Manor volunteer Kate Perez fondly remembers time spent at the historic Merritt Island home during the holidays, when special tours are scheduled.

“On the day of the visit, a friend and I made vintage crafts on the porch to entertain the guests while they waited,” said the resident of Titusville. “During the afternoon, we could hear a young choir singing Christmas carols. “

After a pandemic-induced hiatus, Field Manor will once again be open for the joyful pleasure of vacation sightseeing. Brevard’s citrus industry pioneer 1880 farm is part of the Brevard Museums Christmas Tour, which includes the county’s major historic homes.

It’s no surprise that Field Manor was chosen as the 2021 holiday ornament from the collection produced by the Zonta Club in Melbourne. Field Manor was never a fancy centerpiece, but it was always the essence of home and family, especially during the holidays.

The Florida vernacular frame house, built from sturdy Merritt Island pine, was once among the 471 acres the Field family accumulated with the help of the Homestead Act, which President Lincoln signed to grant to the farmers an area of ​​$ 1.25 an acre with the stipulation that they must grow crops to support them.

WELL-LOVED FARM
Years and development have reduced the area to its current size of 45, which is still a significant amount of land, especially given Field Manor’s prime location overlooking the Indian River.

Korinn Braden, executive director of Field Manor, says the farm is unique because it has been continuously occupied by a family and their descendants. STEVEN R. HICKS

The house has always been loved by the family who built it.

“What makes Field Manor unique is the continued occupation of the property from 1868 to 2013,” said Executive Director Korinn Braden.

The patriarch of the family John Moss Field first arrived in Florida during the Second Seminole War. As many did after him, he fell in love with the charms of the place and dreamed of returning with his family, a dream that came true when he decided to transplant his offspring from Macon, Georgia, and to try their hand at homestead in the Merritt Zone of the island.

Sadly, life turned out to be difficult for the Fields, who lost their 8-year-old son in the first year, causing the whole clan to return to Georgia except for older brothers John Robert and Samuel Joseph, who decided to continue their adventure in Florida. .

Three generations of Fields have lived on the homestead, starting with John and his wife, Eliza. Joseph, their son, and his family became the next residents, and Joe Jr. and his wife, Alma Clyde, continued the tradition.

The late Alma “Clyde” Field ensured that the special place she called her home survived beyond her as a lesson to future generations by establishing the Field Manor Foundation.

TREASURE OF TREASURES
The thrifty family rarely threw anything away, a happy habit for which local history buffs are grateful, as Field Manor serves as a kaleidoscope of historical artifacts from Brevard’s pioneer days.

“The house and packing house contain many original items, including photos, citrus material, books, a sewing machine, furniture and china,” Braden said.
Thanks to Alma Clyde Field, there was no doubt that the mansion would one day be lost to development.

Michael Boonstra, archivist at the Brevard County Historical Commission, was familiar with “Clyde,” as Alma was known.

“I always think of her when I think of Field Manor because it wouldn’t be here without her,” he said. “Clyde devoted a great deal of her time and financial resources to ensuring that the special place she called her home survived beyond her as a lesson for future generations.”

She had the property listed in the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places and then established the Field Manor Foundation, which outlined her vision for the property to become a museum. By the time of her death in 2013, she had set up income for the foundation to make her dream come true.

The Fields created and named the small town of Indianola, which encompassed the farm and land owned by Brother Sam.

“Indianola was a small village, but with a clubhouse, school and church right next door, it was an active place, and according to newspaper clippings, events often took place well after midnight,” he said. Braden said.

The story goes that even the presidents visited the clubhouse for a lively card game.

The majority of the mansion’s furnishings and artifacts are original from the Field family, giving the property an added layer of authenticity. STEVEN R. HICKS

A CHRISTMAS MANOR
At Christmas, Field Manor and its small town sparkled with activity.

In 1895, the Indian River Advocate noted that “the clubhouse costume ball on Christmas Eve was very busy and quite bright.”

Christmas dinner likely included farm meats and seafood from the lagoon, as the Fields loved hosting oysters and fish fries so much throughout the year that Field Manor recreates one of these events each. fall.

“Merritt Island had a lot of cattle, feral hogs, ducks, chicken, as well as treats from the river,” Braden said. “I can only imagine that a lot of them ended up on the holiday table.”

Maintaining a historic home takes a lot of money and manpower, so in addition to hosting tours and school groups, Field Manor helps make a living by hosting weddings and special events. Sunset weddings are extremely popular because, as one father of the bride put it, “the sunsets over the grounds mansion are second to none.”

Beyond the house, the surrounding land also shares its past. Grove manager Darren Welch works hard in the never-ending task of cultivating crops the fields would have grown back then. Sweet potato, seminole pumpkin, pineapple and mango abound.

Field Manor Grove Manager Darren Welch oversees the experimental plantings, as well as the heritage gardens. STEVEN R. HICKS

WORK THE LAND
The farm worked with the University of Florida on experimental disease-resistant citrus groves, but even Welch’s mothering was not successful with the project. With advice from the university, he is experimenting with pomegranate, loofah, dragon fruit and peppers as crops that would be viable alternatives for the struggling citrus industry in Florida.

A small group of volunteers help with a range of projects. Kim McCourt and his girlfriend Mary Scibone, for example, prepare items from the former citrus packing plant so that they can be displayed.

“Taking things from the past and making them work again and displaying them for people in the future to see seems befitting of times gone by,” McCourt said.

For many years, the Fields fought hard, battling frost, crop failures, heat, mosquitoes, snakes, alligators and other critters to ultimately succeed.

“They were the very definition of pioneers in a country that was far from being kind to its original inhabitants,” Archivist Boonstra said. “The house and landscape of Field Manor are rare survivors and provide us with a unique opportunity to step back in time… and do it with fewer bugs!

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