One of Sarasota’s architecturally significant and culturally rich estates is on the market.
Listed at $17.5 million, the historic Casa del Carnevale is located at 139 S. Washington Drive just off of Saint Armands Circle.
The estate was originally built in 1936 by Midwestern industrialist Charles E. Leigh, co-founder of the Lavoris Chemical Company and inventor of Lavoris mouthwash.
The residence was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991 by Leigh’s daughter, Marion McKennon. The home’s original design by Whittington Associates and construction by Paul Bergman reflected the elegance of John Ringling Estates.
In 2003, a Washington, D.C. couple with expertise in historic restoration undertook a transformative renovation. The update and expansion was led by architect Wm. Thorning Little and builder Pat Ball. The project spanned six years of design and 14 months of construction to preserve and elevate the home’s Addison Mizner–inspired Mediterranean Revival style.
In 2021, the current owners completed additional renovations.
The estate has been listed by Realtor Judy Kepecz-Hays and her team, Steven Kepecz and Leah George of Coldwell Banker Realty.
“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to own an exquisite piece of Sarasota’s history,” says Judy Kepecz-Hays. “Casa del Carnevale is more than simply a unique home—it’s a charming, inviting, living museum of craftsmanship, legacy, elegance, with modern-luxury conveniences.”
The home is situated on three lots, with about 170 feet of water frontage in the John Ringling Estates neighborhood.
