The state of Florida has a rich history of African Americans who have contributed to the advancement and growth of today. From slaves to millionaires, African Americans from all walks of life resided in cabins, homes, and stately mansions. The lives of millionaires, educators, businessmen, community leaders, and innovators in Florida's history are explored in each residence. Mary McLeod Bethune, A.L. Lewis, and D.A. Dorsey are a few of the prominent African Americans who not only resided in the state of Florida but also created opportunities for other blacks to further their lives in education and ownership of property and to have a better quality of life. One of the most humanistic traits found in history is the home of someone who has added something of value to society. Today, some of these residences serve as house museums, community art galleries, cultural institutions, and monuments that interpret and share the legacy of their owners.

In the manner of Rizzoli’s acclaimed Historic Houses of the Hudson Valley, Great Houses of Florida presents the greatest and most intriguing houses of the state. Including John and Mabel Ringling’s fabulous Venetian Palazzo Ca d’Zan, James Deering’s spectacular Italianate Villa Vizcaya in Miami, and the Audubon and Hemingway houses in Key West. With all new color photography, this lavish book provides a rare look into the very finest houses from the one-time premier winter playground of America’s rich and famous.

Houses tell the human side of history. In this survey of restored residences, their stories are intertwined with those of their owners in a domestic history of Florida from the days of Spanish occupation to the Rawlings House in Cross Creek, Vizcaya in Miami, and President Harry S. Trumans "Little White House" in Key West. Most of these houses are museums now; others are restaurants or bed-and-breakfasts. This new edition is updated and illustrated with color photographs.

Naples, Florida, is known internationally for its stunning beaches, cosmopolitan ambience, and captivating architecture. Originally settled in the late nineteenth century, the seaside resort town is blessed with abundant historical architecture. One of the Sunshine State’s first "planned communities," the city is consistently recognized as one of the top growth areas in the United States. As a result, the original beach homes, most built between 1895 and 1950, are today threatened by land development and new construction.

Some of the earliest European settlers colonized Northeast Florida when it was little more than a wilderness. Today, the area is rich in multicultural heritage and historic significance, and its historic homes stand as a testament to its intriguing past. Step inside a Second Spanish Period structure that was home to European royalty and visited by iconic film star Greta Garbo. Visit the places that inspired works such as Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings's Pulitzer prize-winning novel "The Yearling" and British composer Frederick Delius's masterpiece, "Florida Suite." Author and award-winning photographer Mary Atwood explores the homes of early colonial settlers, wealthy plantation owners, illustrious Florida artists and those responsible for shaping Florida's First Coast.

Includes photographs inside and out of over 40 Mediterranean revival homes in Florida, inspired by classic Spanish, Italian, and Moorish designs. Architects include Addison Mizner, Maurice Fatio, Marion Sims Wyeth, John Volk, James Gamble Rogers II, Richard Kiehnel, John Elliot, and Henry Taylor.