Devyn LeBlanc, Riverbend News
Madison is home to the beautifully articulated Wardlaw-Smith Mansion, located at 121 NW Marion St. Built in 1860, the mansion served as a home for Benjamin Wardlaw and a makeshift hospital for soldiers in 1861. A short 10 years later, Chandler Smith purchased the mansion and kept it in his family for over 100 years. In 1978, William Goza purchased the estate. Not long after his purchase, Goza donated the mansion to the University of Florida (UF) and later donated it to North Florida College (NFC). A community organization then bought the mansion in 2015 and has used it to host a plethora of local community programs over the years.
This beautifully renovated home, featuring five bedrooms, three full bathrooms and one half-bathroom, is sure to capture the heart of any buyer with its vibrant history and modern luxury. The community organization that currently owns the mansion has proudly invested between 300 and 400 thousand dollars in renovations in the last five years. Designed by Fraser James, the heart of the home features a modern bespoke kitchen that is sure to tantalize and satisfy the needs of any home chef. The estate shows off its Southern charm with a wrap-around porch complemented with 20 stately pillars that stand 40 feet high, perfect for seamless outdoor entertainment. The estate grounds vaunt 200-year-old oaks and cypress trees, exuberant gardens and a newly added guest house that will enthrall its visitors.
“The mansion is a jewel of North Florida and we have treated it as such,” states Peter Stein, a leader of the community organization. “We are looking for the next steward of the mansion. All proceeds [from the selling of the mansion] will go back into Madison.”
World-leading residential real estate company, Concierge Auctions, is working diligently alongside the community organization to find the next steward for this enchanting estate. Concierge Auctions take unique properties from all over and ensure that they are sold for what they are worth. “Sometimes a property is worth as much as someone is willing to pay,” states project manager Shasta Bross. When dealing with ultra-luxury properties, the traditional real estate model has limitations. Concierge Auctions' model represents what buyers are willing to pay according to the market and gives them direct access to the world's finest properties. Concierge Auctions' platform allows sellers to gain unmatched reach, speed and certainty in as little as 30 days. Buyers only pay one bid above the next highest bidder.
To become a bidder on this estate, it is asked that you fill out a registration form provided by Concierge Auctions, provide proof of funds up to the highest amount you are willing to bid, wire $100 thousand into an escrow account and fill out a form to include your agent, if you so choose to use one, so they may receive their three-percent commission. The current asking bid is $1.4 million. Bross will be hosting daily open houses from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Bidding officially begins on Tuesday, Nov. 23 and closes on Thursday, Dec. 2.
For more information regarding the Wardlaw-Smith Mansion or to become a bidder, visit conciergeauctions.com/auctions/121-nw-marion-street-madison-florida.
