New Chapter
Surrounded by mature live oaks, and lots of mango trees, Mango Manor is one of Melbourne Beach’s best-known properties. PINK FLAMINGO PHOTOGRAPHY AND STUDIO CLI PHOTOS
Mango Manor is a home with heart and history
The estate boasts 200 feet of prime Indian River Lagoon shorefront.
Bud and Kim Deffebach’s connection with Mango Manor began long before they purchased the storied Melbourne Beach home in 2004.
When Harry “Bud” Deffebach was growing up just a few blocks away in Indialantic, the two-acre estate was already a local landmark. Kim, whom Bud met at the University of Florida, was soon familiar with the house.
“On my first trip to Melbourne at [age] 18, we rode our bikes down River Road so he could show me the house that captured his imagination,” Kim said. “Fourteen years later — a law degree, a Ph.D., our first home and two young children between us — we found ourselves back on River Road and saw that Mango Manor was for sale.”
They promptly purchased the property, becoming the fourth family to call Mango Manor home. From the beginning, they knew Mango Manor wasn’t just a house to buy — it was a home to protect and treasure.
Built in the 1920s, Mango Manor has fortunately been purchased by owners who lovingly maintained the home.
THE NEXT GENERATION
Hand-carved marble fireplaces are just one of the home’s many charms.
After 20 years, with their children grown and new adventures ahead, the Deffebachs have decided to hand over the keys to the next generation of stewards.
“While we loved every moment of living here, the time has come for us to pass Mango Manor on to new owners who will love and cherish her as much as we have,” Kim said.
Currently listed for $5.5 million, Mango Manor is more than a house. It’s a rare and irreplaceable piece of Space Coast history. The estate includes the main house, two generously-sized cottages, a freestanding gym, and a poolside pavilion with all the creature comforts — set within two acres of glorious oaks and mango trees, with approximately 200 feet of direct Indian River frontage.
The Middle Cottage replicates the main house’s balcony, adorned by colorful vines.
Adjoining the classically designed saltwater pool is another cottage that serves as a gym, plus a pavilion with a complete outdoor kitchen.
RARE FIND
The home features several stained-glass Art Deco windows, including one in the master bath.
“Properties in that area and with such significance rarely come on the market,” said Real Estate agent Jamie Dandridge, who is marketing the property with his mother and fellow agent, Stephanie Dandridge.
Stephanie Dandridge has handled the sales of some of the county’s most exclusive homes, including Hacienda del Sol and the chateau once owned by the late Harris CEO Phil Farmer. Mango Manor is expected to take its rightful place among these properties.
“It will be a record-breaker for the area,” Stephanie said.
Mango Manor was built during the county’s 1920s building boom by community pillars Mark and Ella Oliver. The Fraser family, who bought the house in the 1950s, incorporated two neighboring properties as guest houses.
In the 1990s, Dr. and Mrs. Richard Moore — Mango Manor’s third owners and the ones responsible for her name — completed a full-scale restoration that updated the estate while preserving original features such as hand-milled architectural details. The Deffebachs further enhanced the property during their two decades of residence.
Vaulted ceilings abound at Mango Manor.
Mango Manor features an underground wine cellar with cypress racks and a mural by artist Jean Filipski. Every room, including the office, is elegant and cheery.
KINDERGARTEN WITH CHARACTER
Melbourne Beach native Barbara Struttmann is one of a handful of locals lucky enough to have attended kindergarten at Mango Manor during the Fraser years, when Dorothy Fraser offered one of the guest cottages to the kindergarten class of the then-new St. Sebastian’s by the Sea.
“She was a very generous lady,” Struttmann said. “St. Sebastian’s was being built at the time and the wing that was to house the school wasn’t ready, so Mrs. Fraser let the church use the guest house behind the main house.”
Though six decades have passed, Struttmann still remembers Mrs. Fraser’s invitation for the kindergarteners to bake cookies at the home.
“I have very fond memories of Mango Manor,” she said. “It was such a stroke of luck that I was able to attend school there.”
Struttmann has since revisited the house as a guest at parties hosted there. Mango Manor may outwardly appear like a gracious and elegant doyenne, but make no mistake —this is a party gal of a house. The Deffebachs often hosted events to raise funds for Brevard charities.
“We’ve hosted two decades of unforgettable charity fundraisers, most notably the Club Esteem Halloween Masquerade Ball, attended by more than 400 guests in fabulous costumes,” Kim said.
Club Esteem is a nonprofit that inspires children in under-resourced communities in Melbourne to achieve academic and personal excellence. Mango Manor has also hosted home tours for the Women’s Center and events for the Community Foundation for Brevard and Promise in Brevard.
Additionally, three weddings, a spate of birthday celebrations and countless candlelit dinners by the pool were held during the Deffebach years.
It’s only natural for a home that loves good parties to have ample room for wine storage. Mango Manor boasts an underground wine cellar with cypress racks and a mural by artist Jean Filipski.
“It is rare for a home in Brevard to have a cellar, much less a wine cellar,” Stephanie Dandridge said.
Maria Sonnenberg
Maria is a prolific writer and proofer for Space Coast Living and an adjunct professor at Florida Institute of Technology’s Nathan M. Bisk College of Business. When not writing, teaching or traveling, she can be found waging a one-woman war against her lawn and futilely attempting to maintain order among the chaos of a pack of extremely clueless wirehair dachshunds and an angst-driven basset hound.
