A historic Central Florida island with Seminole, Catholic and pioneer-era roots is suddenly up for grabs, carrying a $12 million price tag and more than a century of family history. Bannon Island, tucked into Lake Marion in Polk County, is being offered for sale for the first time in over 100 years.
The roughly 20-acre island is in southeast Haines City, and its listing marks a rare change for property that has remained with the Bannon family and descendants for generations. Creative Loafing Tampa reports that the property is represented by Lisa Kleine of Red Bird Realty.
The estate is being marketed as a private island compound rather than a typical lakefront home. According to the Zillow listing, it includes a 7,732-square-foot main residence with seven bedrooms and 10 bathrooms on a 21.54-acre lot, plus a separate duplex and four additional buildings.
A Seminole Camp Came Before The Bannon Homestead
The island’s story predates the Bannon family by decades. Creative Loafing Tampa’s reporting identifies Echo Emathla Chipco, also known as Chief Chipco, as the island’s first known resident, while Florida Seminole Tourism describes Chipco as a prominent Creek Seminole leader who maintained camps in Central Florida after the Seminole Wars.
Partick Bannon, an Irish-born Catholic from New York, later purchased the island for $1.25 per acre and began building a two-story home there in 1887. The house was made from cypress and pine shipped from Tampa, and it reportedly included a classroom for Bannon’s six children.
The property also holds a place in Polk County’s religious history: the Bannon home hosted what has been described as the county’s first Catholic Mass in 1895, serving the family and nearby railroad workers. Bannon later operated a 10-acre citrus grove and a profitable fish camp on the island until his death in 1942.
The Historic Home Has Been Recreated For Modern Island Life
A 1974 record from the State Archives of Florida documents the island’s distinctive octagonal house and identifies Bannon Island as a historic site in Haines City. The current residence, however, was built in 2003 as a restored interpretation of the original home.
The estate is now held by Bannon’s descendants, the O’Learys, and the recreated house was designed by architect William H. Philips, according to the second Creative Loafing Tampa report. Its design centers on an octagonal great room, with four wings arranged in a Celtic-cross layout and reclaimed cypress incorporated into the interiors.
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services lists the O’Leary family among Polk County’s certified Century Pioneer Family Farm honorees. The state program recognizes families that have maintained continuous ownership of a farm or ranch for at least 100 years, making Bannon Island’s sale more than a luxury real estate transaction.
The property is accessible only by boat, seaplane or helicopter, and the listing advertises 360-degree lake views, citrus trees, expansive porches, a library, elevator and multiple guest accommodations. Private showings are available by appointment, meaning the next chapter of Bannon Island’s long history may begin with a very small group of people arriving by water.
