Blocking the Takeover of a Local Treasure

Century-old Bonnet House Museum & Gardens, one of Fort Lauderdale’s preeminent historic landmarks, became the target of a nasty tug of war in 2019 when the Tallahassee-based Florida Trust for Historic Preservation tried to take control of the estate and shift all its revenue away from the local nonprofit board that had managed it effectively.

Sachs Media developed Preserve Bonnet House, a multipronged statewide public and media advocacy campaign that helped fend off the takeover and keep Bonnet House in local hands. We rallied support through a dynamic campaign web page, a livestreamed news conference, prominent statewide media coverage, and a social media campaign that rallied influential supporters.

In the end, the statewide group relented, maintaining local control of the beloved community resource.