Goodwood Mansion

Goodwood Mansion. (Old Croom Mansion). The land upon which Goodwood Mansion was constructed was part of the original land grant rewarded to the Marquis de Lafayette for his service during the Revolutionary War. Hardy Croom of North Carolina, a planter and recognized naturalist, purchased this parcel of land. Upon his and his family's untimely death, in 1837, construction of the mansion was completed by his brother, Bryan Croom, in the 1840s., Goodwood's original Italianate style was characterized by floor to ceiling windows, a cupola on the roof which admits light, air and ventilation, and a broad veranda. The home was made of locally produced brick, from Richard Shine's factory, which was scored with stucco to simulate stonework. The interior includes massive doors, 8 marble fireplaces, one of the oldest frescoed ceilings in Florida and a mahogany staircase with semicircular flights to the second floor., Goodwood's owners included: Arvah Hopkins, Elizabeth Arrowsmith, Mrs. Alexander Tiers who remodeled the house creating its current appearance in 1911, Florida State Senator William C. Hodges and Margaret Hodges Hood. Upon Margaret's death her second husband, Thomas Hood, established the Margaret E. Wilson Foundation in her memory and the home and gardens were opened to the public in 1992 with an official opening of the main house in the spring of 2000.