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Rowallan is a historic site in
Ormond Beach, Florida Ormond Beach is a city in Volusia County, Florida, United States. The population was 43,080 at the 2020 census. Ormond Beach lies directly north of Daytona Beach and is a principal city of the Deltona–Daytona Beach–Ormond Beach, FL Metrop ...
, United States. It is located at 253 John Anderson Highway. On October 6, 1988, it was added to the U.S.
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
.


The Lindsay family

The following is from memories of descendants of Alexander Millar Lindsay (1841–1920), builder and first owner of Rowallan, and from a book for which this descendant did research, "Alexander Millar Lindsay," by relative David C. Sargent. More information about Alexander Millar Lindsay and the store he co-founded, Sibley, Lindsay and Curr Co. is available at The Department of Rare Books and Manuscripts, Rush Rhees Library,
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,
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. You may also consult the City of Rochester website for Mt. Hope Cemetery. Lindsay and his wife and many of their children are buried in Mt. Hope. It is one of the nations' finest Victorian Park Cemeteries. Also architecturally significant is Lindsay's home in Rochester, New York. It was designed by J. G. Cutler, who invented the mail chute. Currently doctors' offices, it is located at 973 East Avenue across the street from the home of
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founder,
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(now the International Museum of Photography). Lindsay served as a board member at Kodak. Through the apprentice system, Lindsay became expert in piece goods. In 1865, he and countryman John Curr sailed from
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to
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to an apprenticeship with wholesaler Hogg, Brown and Taylor. There, Lindsay met James M. Thomson who would co-found
Hartford, Connecticut Hartford is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The city, located in Hartford County, Connecticut, Hartford County, had a population of 121,054 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 ce ...
's premier department store, Brown Thomson Co. Lindsay's youngest child, Adelaide, would later marry Thomson's eldest son. Also at Hogg, Brown and Taylor, Lindsay and Curr also met Yankee farmer Rufus Sibley, a fellow clerk. Hogg, Brown and Taylor encouraged its more talented and ambitious employees to start their own businesses and so encouraged the founding of Sibley, Lindsay and Curr Co. at Rochester, NY in 1868. It grew to become the largest department store between New York and Cincinnati. The store initiated a policy of charging the same price for all customers. The honesty of the partners was critical to their future success. When their newest building burned in 1904, although all store records were destroyed, loyal customers paid their bills and their local insurance agent made funds available to them immediately so that they could begin anew. The " Great Sibley Fire" remains Rochester's largest. In 1871, he married Adelaide Hatch (1841–1927). Adelaide's father, Jesse W. Hatch automated the production of shoes, invented baby shoes and hired the first female clerk in Rochester's history to work in his store.


Rowallan's origins

Rowallan in Ormond Beach was built in 1913 to serve as the winter residence for Alexander Millar Lindsay. Born in Stewarton,
Ayrshire Ayrshire (, ) is a Counties of Scotland, historic county and registration county, in south-west Scotland, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. The lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area of Ayrshire and Arran covers the entirety ...
, Scotland, this residence was named ''Rowallan'' after a castle in his native Ayrshire. Lindsay's daughter, Jean, designed Rowallan. According to the correspondence between his son-in-law, attorney Daniel M. Beach, and the appraiser of Rowallan following Lindsay's death, the appraiser wrote: “Miss Lindsay would have it that she could walk out of the house without going down steps.” This of course led to problems with the water table. During certain times of the year, water would reach the lower part of the ground floor windows. Sills had to be replaced frequently because of this. As for the orchard that was on the grounds, the appraiser noted that it was not productive, that it would cost at least $1.00 to produce a single orange. Also on the property was a cottage known as ''Sun Patch'' named for a favorite Lindsay granddaughter, Sunny Kame. It was the winter residence of Lindsay's eldest daughter, Harriet. Other residences on John Anderson Highway near Rowallan were built by Scotsmen with similar histories to that of Lindsay. They referred to themselves as the "Scotch Syndicate2. When Lindsay died in 1920, his widow caused a memorial fountain to be constructed on the river side of the road. It was later destroyed by vandals. Rowallan served as the winter home for the entire extended Lindsay family. Nannies and children were everywhere. There are pictures and movies of them in their goat carts, pony carts and swimming at
Daytona Beach Daytona Beach is a coastal resort city in Volusia County, Florida, United States. Located on the East Coast of the United States, its population was 72,647 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Deltona–Daytona Beach–Ormond Beach metropo ...
. Adults attended functions at the old Ormond Beach Hotel, went shooting and rode horseback. They drove in horse driven buggies and later in their beach wagon. They were among the first to drive cars on Ormond Beach. As of 2008, the extended family of Alexander Millar Lindsay is spread throughout the United States and Europe. However, all remain interested in Rowallan and closely follow its unfolding story.


Rowallan's later history

According to content about the ''Ormond Beach Historical Trail'' written by Orlando historian Steve Rajtar, Rowallen was later owned by Englishman Leonard Martin, and then Harold and Eileen Butts. The Butts renamed the house ''Linsaroe'', which means "by the water" in Celtic. Eileen Butts was added to the state list of prominent Floridians for her work in the area including the creation of
Tomoka State Park Tomoka State Park is an Florida State Park located along the Tomoka River, three miles (5 km) north of Ormond Beach on North Beach Street. Fauna Among the wildlife of the park are West Indian manatees, alligators, white-tailed deer, g ...
, the building of the Ormond Memorial Art Gallery and the preservation of
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's Ormond Beach home '' The Casements''. The plaque listing her as a great Floridian form the state's 2000 program is on the front of Rowallen.


Rowallan's Joy Postle murals

Rowallan also features murals by the noted Florida artist, Joy Postle. Postle, a former WPA artist, is known for her paintings of Florida wildlife scenes and in particular birds. In addition, she was a published poet, author, musician and entertainer. She resided in
Orlando, Florida Orlando ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Orange County, Florida, United States. The city proper had a population of 307,573 at the 2020 census, making it the fourth-most populous city in Florida behind Jacksonville, Florida, Jacksonville ...
.


References


External links


Volusia County listings
a
National Register of Historic Places

Volusia County listings
{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605010306/http://www.flheritage.com/facts/reports/places/index.cfm?fuseaction=ListAreas&county=Volusia , date=2011-06-05 a
Florida's Office of Cultural and Historical Programs
Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Volusia County, Florida Ormond Beach, Florida