Flagler Memories Project
Streaming Video: Visit to Princess Place
.
Cherokee Grove was the original name for this area. Cherokee Grove was part of Francisco Pellicer's land grant from the King of Spain in 1791. In the early 1800's, H.C. Sloggett introduced orange trees to Cherokee Grove, one of the first orange grove locations in Florida. In 1886, Henry Cutting, a New England sportsman, purchased the grove and surrounding property.
In 1887, Henry Cutting constructed a hunting lodge on the property which was designed by New York architect William Wright in the Adirondack Camp Style. The Camp Style originated in the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York. The Princess Place lodge is probably the only example of this style of architecture in Florida.
The lodge is an excellent example of adaptation of the style to local materials. The lodge was constructed from pink coquina mined from the beaches in Flagler County. The wraparound porch is supported by cedar and palm trunks serving as the columns. Besides riding stables and tennis courts, the first in·ground swimming pool in Florida was built on the site. This fresh water pool is fed by a continuous flowing artesian well. The lodge became an entertainment center for many socially prominent New England and Chicago families as well as royalty and dignitaries from all over the world.
Henry Cutting died in
1892 and his widow, Angela, returned to New York shortly after his death. There she met
and married an exiled Russian Prince, Boris Sherbatoff. The royal" couple chose to
live at Cherokee Grove which again became the focal point for entertainment for socially
prominent visitors from Europe and the Eastern United States. Thus, Cherokee Grove became
the Princess Place.
