MY FATHER'S HACIENDA DEL SOL WORK
My father Harry Routzong worked almost daily for seven years for Mrs. Evelyn Stewart at her south Merritt Island estate called Hacienda del Sol.
The Stewart family built the estate in 1930 on 30 acres overlooking the Indian River. The estate was designed after the Southern California Mission of San Juande Capestrano. The place was nicknamed the White House of the South because of all the dignitaries that were entertained there.
Mrs. Stewart was very pleased with my father’s creative and outstanding work. He built the entrance and exit gates into the estate and spent many years remodeling the home.
The Stewart family built the estate in 1930 on 30 acres overlooking the Indian River. The estate was designed after the Southern California Mission of San Juande Capestrano. The place was nicknamed the White House of the South because of all the dignitaries that were entertained there.
Mrs. Stewart was very pleased with my father’s creative and outstanding work. He built the entrance and exit gates into the estate and spent many years remodeling the home.
One story I remember my dad telling was during some of the remodeling to the house. Mrs. Stewart wanted a existing window replaced with a door so he worked an entire day and got it all changed.
The next morning when he got there she told him she was sorry but she decided she preferred the window afterall so would he please change it back. He worked on it that day and when it was all finished she thanked him for the extra work.
Well the next morning guess what? She had decided she wanted the door rather than the window so he looked at her and said “ Mrs. Stewart I am going to change it this time and afterwards if you don’t like it then you can change it your own damn self”.
Needless to say she was happy with it. She told this story to so many people and just thought it was so funny for him to say that to her and she gave him credit for putting his foot down.
The next morning when he got there she told him she was sorry but she decided she preferred the window afterall so would he please change it back. He worked on it that day and when it was all finished she thanked him for the extra work.
Well the next morning guess what? She had decided she wanted the door rather than the window so he looked at her and said “ Mrs. Stewart I am going to change it this time and afterwards if you don’t like it then you can change it your own damn self”.
Needless to say she was happy with it. She told this story to so many people and just thought it was so funny for him to say that to her and she gave him credit for putting his foot down.
Hacienda del Sol was filled with roaming peacocks and that area still has them. One day I went there with my father to pick up something and she asked me if I would like to have some of her peacocks and of course I said yes. She showed me how to catch them and gave me some corn and string and I went to work. As soon as I threw out the corn they all came running and I would grab one by the legs and tie them with the string and by the time we were ready to leave I had five.
A couple years later she contacted my father and had a creative project for him to do. She was gotten a huge chandelier from Europe and also a cement molding to go around it.
A large section of the molding was crushed so he designed a mold and started remaking it for her. She loved it so much she wanted him to make enough to go around the entire ceiling of that room. This was the last work he did for Mrs. Stewart as he soon retired.
Mrs. Stewart lived in this estate until her death and then her only daughter inherited the property. The family sold the Hacienda del Sol main home and the surrounding property but the grandchildren kept a large portion of the acreage.
A couple years later she contacted my father and had a creative project for him to do. She was gotten a huge chandelier from Europe and also a cement molding to go around it.
A large section of the molding was crushed so he designed a mold and started remaking it for her. She loved it so much she wanted him to make enough to go around the entire ceiling of that room. This was the last work he did for Mrs. Stewart as he soon retired.
Mrs. Stewart lived in this estate until her death and then her only daughter inherited the property. The family sold the Hacienda del Sol main home and the surrounding property but the grandchildren kept a large portion of the acreage.
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