John Willoughby: Greene Publishing, Inc.
George Franklin Drew, 12th Governor of Florida.
Now known as a ghost town, an Ellaville home serves as a forgotten part of Madison County's treasured history. Ellaville was founded in 1861 by George Franklin Drew, a successful businessman who eventually became the Governor of Florida.
Ellaville was named by Drew, honoring his African American servant, named Ella. During his time residing in Ellaville, a mansion was built in the late 1860's (possibly in 1867, according to a 1970 edition of the Madison County Carrier). Erected by his brothers: John and Ed Drew, the mansion was to be a centerpiece in a big saw mill operation – which was built in 1869 – a half-mile to the east on the banks of the Withlacoochee and Suwannee Rivers, where the two intertwine. The earliest mention of when the mansion was finally finished was in March and April of 1867, when Drew wrote down an unusually long grocery list, including kitchen furnishings, such as dishes, pans, pots, and tables.
According to a historical resource, the beautiful mansion was two stories tall. Inside was ten rooms. The staircase was made of imported mahogany wood, and the fireplaces were adorned, with marble mantels and facings. The coal used in the fireplaces was barged in on the river for their use. At a later date, the Drew Mansion was among Florida's first rural homes to have running water, electricity and a telephone for communication. The home had oak parquet floors and was surrounded by formal, symmetrical gardens, with a railroad passing through.
Just two years after the mansion was built, both Drew brothers who erected the building had passed away. Ed Drew died July 9, 1869; and John Drew passed away on May 25, 1869. It is assumed that both brothers were living in the Drew Mansion at the time of their passing.
The Drew Mansion, in Ellaville, was built by brothers John and Ed Drew. In 1883, the mansion was sold to Drew's partner, Loius Bucki.
In 1877, Drew was elected as the 12th Governor of the State of Florida. According to the National Governors Association, during Drew's term, the state's penal system and educational programs were hindered by back tax cuts and disbursements that exceeded the state's economic capability. State lands were also utilized to sustain improvements in immigration and internal developments. Little do many know, Drew served as a Madison County Commissioner in 1870, before his tenure as Governor.
In front of the home was a railroad extending from Tallahassee to Jacksonville. The railroad system was the way Drew would make his way to his Tallahassee office on a daily basis. Travel to Jacksonville and Pensacola for political functions was also common. Northeast of the mansion was a family cemetery that held the remains of Drew's granddaughter, Mary Amelia Brush. The cemetery holds nine mortal remains. Of the nine, one was identified as John Clay Thomas. Over the decades, the cemetery grave markers suffered damage from nature and lack of care.
On March 17, 1883, Drew sold his home, his lumber mills and 1,390 acres of his estate in Ellaville to Louis Bucki and moved to Jacksonville where he served as the first President of Jacksonville's Board of Trade. In 1900, Drew passed away at the age of 73.
By the 1930's, the Drew Mansion began seeing deterioration from the elements. The inside of the home was exposed, and the crawl space was home to animals. Vandalism was also a common sight at Drew Mansion.
The Drew Mansion began deteriorating in the 1930's after it became abandoned and vandalized by salvagers. Much of the fencing had deteriorated, leaving the crawl space open to animals, large and small. In 1970, after an unknown corporation bought the land and home, the tragic happened. On Dec. 11, 1970, at approximately 6:30 p.m., the Drew Mansion burned down. The Florida Department of State installed a historic marker a half of a mile east of the site of where the mansion once stood. By 1974, all trees on the property were harvested, and the soil was prepared for replanting.
To this day, there are still several grave markers and ruins lying on the grounds of Drew's once-bountiful land. Though Drew is physically gone, the memory of his estate lives on in Madison County.