Located at 1819 Taylor Road
in Port Orange, 1.5 miles west of I-95
Guests to Gamble Place can step back in time to experience the same pristine environment that James Gamble found so inviting during his first visit to the area in the late 1800's. James N. Gamble, of the Procter and Gamble Company and a long time winter resident of Daytona Beach, bought this land on Spruce Creek for use as a rural retreat. Educational tours of the grounds and buildings built by Gamble and his family are offered jointly by Cracker Creek and the Museum of Arts and Sciences. Photo: Guests to Gamble Place can step inside an exact replica of Snow White's Cottage.
Join the Friends of Gamble Place and help secure the future of this unique and unspoiled gem while helping to preserve it's past. For information on how you can become a member of this important and highly valued group of volunteers please call MOAS at 386-255-0285 to learn how your participation can make a difference.
Self-guided tours of the Gamble property will be available Thursday through Sunday - 8 am to 5 pm. These tours are free to the public and give the visitor access to the miles of cleared nature trails, picnic areas, and access to walk around the outsides of the Gamble buildings.
Guided tours of the historic Gamble buildings including the Snow White house are available on Fridays at 10am, 11am, 1pm, and 2pm. Guided tour prices are $5 for adults / seniors, $4 for MOAS members, $3 for children 12 and under. There is no appointment necessary for Friday tours, please contact Cracker Creek Canoeing at 386-304-0778 if you need more information.
Group Guided House Tours are currently available by reservation only for groups of 10 or more (or at a $50 minimum charge). All tours of Gamble Place can be reserved by calling Cracker Creek Canoeing at 386-304-0778. Group guided house tour prices are $5 for adults / seniors. $4 for MOAS members. $3 for children 12 and under.
Cracker Creek Canoeing offers their famous Eco-History Pontoon Boat Tours Thursday through Sunday at 11am and 2pm. Kayak and Canoe rentals are available Thursday to Sunday from 8 am to 5pm.
For questions about visiting Gamble Place or Cracker Creek Canoeing please contact:
Cracker Creek Canoeing
1795 Taylor Road
Port Orange
386-304-0778
www.oldfloridapioneer.com
To reach the Gamble Place and Cracker Creek, take I-95 exit 256 and go west on Taylor Road (SR 421) approximately 1.5 miles. At the Florida Historic Site marker turn left down the 2-lane shell road. The Gamble Place and Cracker Creek are approximately one half mile down the shell road. Entrances for the properties are clearly marked.
More About Gamble Place
James N. Gamble: Florida's First Winter Resident
Visitors are often surprised to learn that James N. Gamble, of Procter and Gamble fame, was responsible for the construction of this rustic, winter home in the backwoods of western Port Orange, Florida. Indeed, he, a wealthy Cincinnati businessman, built his Cracker-style cottage in the middle of the county to compliment a more luxurious seasonal estate along the Halifax River. Features like the crescent moon cutout shutters and rustic appearance reflect the imaginative, yet sensible, character of James Gamble, quite possibly the first and most persistent winter traveler to Florida.
Of Procter and Gamble Fame
James Gamble was raised in Cincinnati, Ohio and graduated from Kenyon College in 1854. Upon the advice of his father, he went into the manufacturing business, working his way up through the ranks at the Procter and Gamble factory, eventually managing the company until his retirement in 1890. It was during his tenure as supervisor that Gamble employed a young inventor, Thomas Edison, to solve a communications problem at the factory. The result was the creation of the first teletype machine. It was also during this period when the famous Ivory Soap was invented, or rather discovered, by a workman who on his lunch break inadvertently left a blending machine on, which beat extra air into the soap mix.
The History of Gamble Place
A frequent winter visitor, Gamble discovered this western Port Orange land by way of Spruce Creek in the 1890s. An avid outdoorsman, he found that this magnificent place had much to offer. He purchased 175 acres on April 6, 1898, from George W. Leffman. Around 1907, Gamble built his hunting and fishing retreat and the adjacent orange packing barn.
Gamble's fondness for rustic southern country architecture is reflected in the design of the main house. Gamble incorporated many Florida Cracker architectural features into his bungalow-style design, including large, open porches, an open breezeway, a steeply pitched, wooden shingle roof, and large windows for cross-ventilation.
The final result is a unique, upscale version of a Cracker house.
When Gamble died on July 2, 1932, Gamble Place was willed to his two daughters, Olivia and Maud. Maud married Judge Alfred K. Nippert, who designed and built the nearby Snow White Cottage in 1938.