But at one time the colony in the area was named New Britain but when Anderson, Bostrom and James Ormond all became friends they all visited a plantation in the area called Bosarve. At that point they decided on renaming New Britain Ormond to honor the Ormond family. They pursued a group of people the McNary family and the Dix sisters that the town should be incorporated with James Ormond's name. They used the banana tree as the city's emblem. This took place fairly close to The Casements where at the time sailboats and ferry's had to cross the Halifax River to get to the mainland or back. 

In 1888 Anderson and a man by the name of J.D. Price bought part of the Bostrom peninsula homestead and built the first wing of the Ormond Hotel something we talked about in the Cassen Park Prologue page. It opened on New Years Eve fairly close to the Casements where today just a parking lot and green grassy park now stand. 

Henry Flagler was responsible for increasing railroad lines sizes in the area and coordinated a rail system in various parts of Florida. He wanted to incorporate hotels along these railroad lines. So he enlarged the Ormond Hotel to accommodate 600 guest and made it into a resort for winter guest.  They also ran the Tomoka River Cruises nearby the dock still stands today where the ferry's departed.

Furthermore Volusia Counties most famous residents lived just a few hundred yards away from the hotel eventually. A man by the name John D. Rockefeller an oil entrepreneur wanted to live longer so he very much was into all the healthy lifestyles, exercise, certain nature foods etc.  He wanted to live to be a century old so this is the reason for healthy living. He was a very wealthy man had employees which he asked them to find the most polluted free place in the country so he could spend his winters there. Ormond Beach was chosen.

In 1914 Rockefeller arrived at the Ormond Hotel and always rented the entire floor for himself and employees. He spent about four winter seasons here eventually purchasing the home near the hotel built by Reverend Harwood Huntington who's wife was the daughter of the creator of the Pullman Train Car Company.

 Some say the reason for his purchase was because he had a dispute with the hotel employees and so he purchased this winter cottage called The Casements. Of course if you were to see this place The Casements look more like a giant three floor mansion. Apparently he was being charged more then other guest at the hotel.  The home built in the early 1890s had a Shingle style architecture built by the Episcopal minister himself.

Over the years many famous visitors had stayed at The Casements visiting the Worlds Richest Man. Some of them were The Prince Of Wales, Henry Ford, and even Will Rogers. Each year a giant Christmas Party was held at The Casements and many locals attended just to sit around the tree exchanging gifts. 

As time passed on Rockefeller would live to the ripe age of 97 years old. He died in 1937 and did not make it to 100 yrs. old. He made this his home for over 19 years eventually to die in his sleep. The Rockefeller family sold the house after his death around 1939. After this The Casements had changed ownership many times such as it was a girls preparatory school, a home for the elderly then eventually it was owned by The Ormond Hotel. Through them years The Casements suffered a couple fires, vandalism and neglect. But they still survived.

In 1973 the city purchased The Casements and it was restored back to the originally look which now serves as a cultural and community center. It was placed on the National Register Of Historic Places in 1972. It was called the Casements because of the many hand-cut casement windows in the living room. The Casements contain many Rockefeller Memorabilia, exhibits from early local Ormond History, Art, and Boy Scouting. 

For quite sometime I wanted to investigate this place just never had the chance. After all the research I did on it realizing it was an elderly home and that Rockefeller died here the possibility of a ghost wandering its grounds or halls did not seem so outrageous after all. How I would describe this place is alive. Every room almost at night is lit up including most of the grounds. It almost seems like a party is going on that you cannot see and so I bring to you the world beyond our eyes.

© By

Rick-AngelOfThyNight