A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own one of Florida's historically prominent estates, the Wardlaw-Smith-Goza Mansion, generally known as the Smith Mansion, is an esteemed Antebellum home in Madison, Florida with a rich history dating back to the mid 1800's. Originally built by Benjamin Wardlaw in 1860 and designed by William Hammerly, a prominent architect from Virginia, the two-story structure epitomizes the popular Greek Revival style revered in the Southern states at the end of the 19th century. With 20 pillars soaring 40 feet high and a wrap-around porch on all four sides, the property is surrounded by awe-inspiring 200 year-old oaks, cypress trees, gardens, a guest house, and a grand circle driveway to accommodate family and guests. Inside, with 20 foot ceilings, extra large windows, and eight fireplaces, the home is considered a perfect example of an elegant historic Southern estate. The handmade, original, curved staircase is made from reclaimed 200-year old mahogany and the home is adorned with antique chandeliers offering soothing illumination in many of the rooms. The bright, spacious interior with its library, parlor, 5 beds and 5 baths, along with the lush, expansive grounds, is a perfect setting for hosting large gatherings and celebrating significant life events. Having undergone numerous renovations in its one hundred-fifty-plus years as a home to prominent families, modern luxuries have been couched in historic foundations: full air conditioning, dimming lights and chandeliers, a solar pumped fountain, and a new guesthouse to name a few. However, the jewel of the renovations is the ultra-modern bespoke kitchen designed and engineered by esteemed kitchen maker Fraser James of the UK. Boasting two professional grade convection ovens, 3 refrigerators, a hammered copper extra large basin sink, all punctuated by a glass stovetop set in a stunning granite countertop, the kitchen is a chef's paradise. For all the above reasons, the estate was selected over these years to be the location of formal events, the set of feature-length documentaries, and was even personally selected by Marcus Lemonis himself for his NBC show The Profit. The luxurious mansion remains a piece of history, being added to the acclaimed U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1972, and is now recorded by the Historic American Buildings Survey. The Wardlaw-Smith-Goza Mansion is a once-in-a-lifetime property rich in history and poised for a new beginning. Welcome to your next chapter.An Illustrious Past. Construction of the Wardlaw Mansion, as it was known back then, began in the late 1850's and was completed in 1860 during the same time Abraham Lincoln was campaigning for the Presidency and the Pony Express made its first travels across the country. In 1871, the mansion changed hands when Chandler Holmes Smith acquired the property and generations of his family resided there for over a century. In 1978, the mansion was then purchased by the Goza family who went about a massive restoration under the supervision of Master Contractor Dawson Rutherford. Much of the home was meticulously removed, cleaned, refurbished, and returned to its original state so as to preserve the historical and architectural character the home embodies to this day. Later the property was donated to the University of Florida Foundation where it served as a conference center for North Florida Junior College, eventually being donated to the City of Madison where it stood unoccupied until 2014 when it was purchased by renowned celebrity chef Art Smith. Smith, a famous culinarian who, for over ten years, was Oprah Winfrey's personal chef and who has had the privilege of cooking for celebrities and heads of state like former Florida Governor Jeb Bush and former President Barack Obama. The mansion opened as the Chef Art Smith Southern Kitchen and Garden School with the intention of offering not only cooking seminars by award-winning chefs, but also...