The Neil Whitesell House: Just How Big Are Those Palm Trees?

The course of major construction apparently never runs smoothly. First, former Shoals industrialist Neil L. Whitesell and his wife Tracy Crump Whitesell had to petition the Naples, Florida, city council in order to construct a 6.5' wall designed to separate the front of their 32K square foot mansion from the beach. We can understand the Whitesells wouldn't want just anyone looking into their dream home, but an August 2nd accident allowed the outside world a small peak.

It seems the Whitesells wanted to plant some fully grown palm trees by their pool. Hey, who wouldn't? While moving the trees, one gigantic crane toppled under the weight of the palm, falling into the house. Bad news for the Whitesells, but it allowed the public a close up view of the mega-edifice via photos. Is that a fireplace on the covered veranda? Those Florida nights can get pretty cool.

Below is a photo of the almost finished mansion. When completed, the home located just south of the Naples Beach Hotel and Golf Club will be the largest domicile in Collier County. If you're wondering how the Whitesell home compares to most U.S. dwellings, the Census Bureau reported the average size of an American home in 2009 was 2,392 square feet.

Photographs courtesy of Naples News

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We blogged yesterday concerning our lack of a food critic. Now we have two. Our new restaurant blog should get underway shortly. We hope you'll enjoy it:

Quad-Cities Cuisine

Shoalanda