This lovely Greek Revival is located in the tony, peacock-filled Miami neighborhood of Coconut Grove. So the story goes, it was built in 1910 for John T. Peacock, a member of the affluent nabe’s founding family. The estate is just over an acre, a notably large plot for the area, and the 7,000-square-foot house is set back 100 yards from the street, which makes for a long, elegant drive that loops around a reflecting pool with fountains.
Asking a hearty $12.9 million, the property is listed with Lourdes Alatriste at Douglas Elliman. Just three years ago, It had been listed for an even heartier $15.8 million; but in 2019, the current owners, attorney Isaac Kodsi and wife Teresita, paid just $6.6 million for the place at auction, a stunning $9 million discount off the asking price.
The house was thoroughly renovated circa 2016, with the additions of an outdoor wet bar, gym and a temperature-controlled wine cellar with room for 1,500 bottles, along with a steam bath with integrated aromatherapy, and, important features in hurricane country, high impact windows trimmed in Honduran mahogany and a 60KW diesel generator. Fortunately, the house retains its original Florida cherrywood floors and mahogany doors.
There are 4 bedrooms and 5.5 baths in the main house, plus two more independent guest suites with private baths. Covered loggias, the last word in indoor/outdoor living a hundred years ago, overlook the L-shaped pool, which is followed by a rambling backyard and a lighted tennis and basketball court.
So who was John T. Peacock? Known as Jolly Jack, the English immigrant fell in love with the Grove in the 1870s, built a waterfront home, and bragged about life in the tropics to his brother back in London. Intrigued, his brother Charles and wife Isabella left London, moved to the Grove and built the Peacock Inn. Credited with being the first establishment that attracted tourists to South Florida, it was the Peacock Inn that spurred Henry Flagler, builder of the Florida East Coast Railway, to extend the railroad to the tip of southern Florida. Today the site of the former Peacock Inn is Peacock Park, where peacocks roam freely, as they do all over the Grove, although no one is sure where they originally came from.
There’s just one little problem. This house was built in 1910, three years after Jolly Jack’s death. Did he have a son with the same name? Does it matter? Whatever the case, the mansion’s up-to-date amenities combined with early Florida charm will make any new owner proud as a Peacock.
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Image Credit: Realtor.com The gated driveway passes under mature trees.
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Image Credit: Realtor.com The entrance hall has both squared-off and arched entryways.
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Image Credit: Realtor.com Molding emphasizes the interesting architecture thoughout the house.
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Image Credit: Realtor.com The elegant staircase is crafted with old Florida cherrywood.
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Image Credit: Realtor.com A rolling ladder makes upper shelves easily accessible in the library/office.
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Image Credit: Realtor.com Funky modern lighting livens up the otherwise traditional space.
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Image Credit: Realtor.com More funky modern lighting and a Moorish-inspired mirror jazz up the dining room.
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Image Credit: Realtor.com A good-sized island anchors the kitchen, which features pristine white marble countertops and an attractively patterned tile floor.
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Image Credit: Realtor.com The chandelier lights the skylight-topped atrium.
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Image Credit: Realtor.com The poolside loggia, with more boldly patterned tiles, is the perfect spot for sipping lemonade.
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Image Credit: Realtor.com The L-shaped pool is enveloped in tropical plantings and surrounded by coral stone terracing.
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Image Credit: Realtor.com Beyond the pool are lush gardens and a lighted tennis court.
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Image Credit: Realtor.com Is it even Florida without a mossy live oak and fuschia bougainvillea?
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Image Credit: Realtor.com