Gamble Plantation

Gamble Plantation Historic State Park consists of an antebellum mansion constructed in the Doric Revivalist Vernacular architectural style, developed by its first owner, Major Robert Gamble. It is the only surviving plantation in South Florida, and a popular wedding destination. Its columns and two-​foot-​thick walls are constructed of tabby, a regional material developed as a substitute for brick. In addition to the plantation is a 40,000-gallon cistern to provide the household with fresh water (fish were kept in the cistern to eat insects and help keep the water clean), and a 16 acre sugar plantation. At its peak, the plantation occupied 3500 acres in South Florida, and Gamble likely held more than 600 slaves. The park also includes the restored wood-​frame, two-​story, Victorian-​style Patten House, built in 1872 for owner George Patten.
The mansion would have been left to decay, had it not been for the United Daughters of the Confederacy, who purchased it after finding out that Judah P. Benjamin, who served in three Cabinet positions under Confederate President Jefferson Davis during the American Civil War, had hidden out in the mansion. He stayed at the plantation in May 1865 before escaping Federal forces. After remaining abandoned for some time, George Patten bought the property in 1872 but decided the mansion was in poor condition and built a two-​story Victorian-​style house directly in front of it, in which he lived. The Patten house remains, though it has been moved to the side to allow the restored and imposing plantation to be the star of the show. By the way, if you’re a history buff, you may want to head north on State Road 683 to see the ruins of the original sugar mill.
Inside the building where you purchase tickets on the Gamble Plantation Historic Park, is a small museum exhibit that is worth checking out (it is free). The guided tours are $ 6, but WARNING! You will NOT be allowed inside the Gamble plantation at ALL unless you pay for the tour. Even if you try to pay for the tour and it has already started, you will NOT be allowed to do so and join the tour. I wish the website had stated this because we came at 4:15, thinking we’d be allowed to roam the home until 5, giving us plenty of time, until we were told by the lady behind the counter that the interior of the mansion was off-​limits and to return the next day. This was a frustrating waste of time since it’s about 30 minutes away from the downtown Sarasota area, so I thought I would do you all the favor of informing you about this.
Tour times, by the way, are 9:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 1 p.m., 2 p.m., 3 p.m. and 4 p.m., Thursday through Monday. Because of this, I deducted a star, and in addition, the Patten house is only open on Sundays if the UDC are around to open it, there is no set opening time. It seems like a halfway done effort to have one house available for viewing but not the other. There is really no reason why both houses cannot be open for touring, so that is why I took off another star. My friend, who has been to several plantations in South Carolina, Mississippi and Savannah, said this is one of the plainest ones he has seen (both the exterior and interior) — this was meant to be a frontier mansion, not some elaborate «show-​off» mansion in which no expense was spared, so be realistic in your expectations.

(From January 10, 2013 visit — clearing out drafts again.)
Gamble Plantation may surprise you as it’s off a main roadway where there are strip malls and whatnot. The grounds are lovely, and my family & I walked around the park & buildings, and peeked into windows of main house. Guided tours are around $ 6 for adults. The small museum is free and does a very good job of explaining the plantation’s rich history, before and after the Civil War.

Great place to learn about the gamble family and their family history. Tour only takes 45 minutes and is 5 bucks. My only complaint is the sparse parking. I would complain about the accessibility issue but considering the fact that the building is a historical building and they don’t want to deface it. I can understand, but they should at least have an area set up for those that can’t go upstairs, so they can watch a DVD about the upstairs area.

Located right of the US 301 some 2 miles west from I-​75 (exit 224).
I’ve passed this park multiple times before finally stopping by on my last mini-​workation (taking a vacation to do work).
It’s a Historic State Park that takes you back to the early pioneer days of the Florida Sun Coast (1840s). Gamble came from a wealth family in Tallahassee and quickly increased his land holdings to 3500 acres, of which 1500 were in cultivation. Like many of the plantation owners in the area, Sugarcane was the staple crop. He brought in machinery from New Orleans for the sugar refinery, but withing 20 years as crops prices fell, he went bankrupt.
After years of decay, the property was purchased in 1920s, revitalized and deeded to the State of Florida. When you enter the park you are on axis with the Gamble Mansion. It’s the oldest building in Manatee County and is a great little example of Antebellum architecture (Latin for «before the war»). Think of a quaint Front Porch jacked-​up on steroids. The columns are massive 2 story chunks that wrap 3 side of the building. Our own Floridian Greek Temple… ok, maybe not.
There’s also a picnic area and pavilion in the back of the Mansion. Everything under the old majestic Oaks that sprinkle the property.
To the east of the Gamble Mansion is the Patten House. A Florida pioneer farmhouse. The interior has many original period furniture pieces, photos, rugs, lamps, kitchen and dining area. Through the years the house had additions, but you can easily pick up on the original 4 rooms of the structure. There’s a second floor but visitors are not allowed up the stair (safety).
My visit to the area coincided with the Spring Open House (1^st Sunday in March)
While I couldn’t make it to the event, it was filled with:
Free Tours of the Mansion & Patten House
Live Civil War Era Weapons
Period Costumes & Uniforms
Civil War Field Equipment
Music and Food
Check the website or call for other events throughout the year.

Great place to learn about the Gamble family and how they made their fortune from sugar and slavery. Learn how Robert Gamble employed endless efforts to avoid Seminole instrusion. See the magnificent home he lived in that was built by slave labor. Located in sleepy Palmetto, Florida and a must for American history buffs. Tour is only 45 minutes and costs only $ 5 bucks. See this place.