
Fort Lauderdale's Historic Bonnet House

The Bonnet House was once the estate of Chicago-born artist Frederick Clay Bartlett and his wife, who were gifted the property by the father of his wife, Hugh Taylor Birch. The property is home to several separate buildings and has lush gardens and ponds as far as the eye can see.

It's amazing taking a look back in time and seeing how these massive buildings were constructed to withstand hurricanes and hot Florida summers. Each individual brick used to build the houses was made on-site. Many of the materials and fixtures inside of the houses were imported from other parts of the country, each with their own purpose in the home.
The decor in the courtyard is inspired by the Florida landscape with many of the pathways being formed with local coral reef limestone. The plants and palm trees on the property are all native to South Florida. The family's connection to the ocean is evident in the fact that many of the rooms (and even the welcome sculptures) are nautical themed, featuring doorways and rooms that are decorated using shells that were found on the Fort Lauderdale shores.





The entire enclosed courtyard was painted and decorated by Evelyn herself. The home is stunning and filled with art pieces. You could wander the property for days and still find pieces of work you have yet to discover.





I highly suggest taking some time on a weekend and visiting the Bonnet House to take a step back in time and explore one of Broward County's most treasured estates.