Safety Harbor Historical Site: Tucker Mansion

Safety Harbor Historical Site: Tucker Mansion. . The Tucker Mansion, a Colonial Revival style mansion, was built in 1923 during the Florida Land Boom by Virginia Hernandez (Bailey) Tucker (1844-1931). Virginia Tucker was the daughter of William James Bailey, a colonel during the Second Seminole War who was stationed at nearby Fort Brooke (Tampa). In 1855, Colonel Bailey purchased the land and springs where Safety Harbor Resort and Spa is located and made the waters available for public use., In November 1864, Virginia Bailey married Captain James Felix Tucker (1840-1913), a disabled confederate veteran of the Civil War. After the death of Colonel Bailey, Captain Tucker converted the springs into a viable commercial facility through additional construction. He increased promotional efforts of the current Safety Harbor Resort and Spa until his death in 1913. Virginia Tucker managed the springs for several years before eventually selling her interest in the springs., The mansion was modeled after the Bailey family's Virginia plantation home, which in turn was modeled after their ancestral home in England. The mansion had a winding staircase and brass chandeliers, a parlor with sliding doors, and a breakfast room that seated fifteen. Upstairs bedrooms had private baths and fireplaces. The lawn was shaded by papaya and mango trees. The Tucker Mansion was the pride of Safety Harbor for many decades., In 1999, the Safety Harbor City Commission designated the property a Local Historic Landmark.