Historic Homes of Jacksonville

Jacksonville is a city of decades; architectural styles are a sign of the times and these historic homes are truly gems that celebrate the eras they were built in.

Jacksonville has some epic homes! Take a twirl around the city and see these gorgeous places that once housed many of Jax's elite society. Hope on our app to pull up our home tour on your phone!

Murray Hill

Marabanog

Year Built: 1876
Location: 4747 River Point Road Jacksonville, FL 32207
Neighborhood: Arlington
Details: This historic home got its name from the Maori language. “Marabanong” roughly translates to paradise. This home was built 1876, in a Victorian style. It’s unique architecture and character surely stands out in Jacksonville. This is a private residence.

Merrill House

Year Built: 1886
Location: 317 A. Phillip Randolph Blvd. Jacksonville, FL 32202
Neighborhood: Downtown
Details: Experience Jacksonville at the turn of the 20th century inside the James E. Merrill House. This house is the best local example of 19th century Queen Anne – Eastlake Victorian home. It is furnished as the Merrill’s and other middle-class Jacksonville families would have lived at that time. Built in 1886, this once private home survived the Great Fire of 1901 and has since been moved to two different locations in Downtown Jacksonville The Jacksonville Historical Society uses this historic home as an annex to their headquarters. There are tours available with reservation, go HERE.

Thomas V. Porter House

Year Built: 1902
Location: 510 Julia Street Jacksonville, FL 32202
Neighborhood: Downtown
Details: Designed by Henry J. Klutho for a prominent Jacksonville businessman, the house originally faced Church Street at the corner of Julia. But the First Christian Church, which purchased the building, moved it to its present location in 1925. The building boasts a grand two-story portico with six Corinthian columns, a serpentine balcony and a coffered ceiling.

Epping Forest Mansion

Year Built: 1926
Location: 1830 Epping Forest Dr, Jacksonville, FL 32217 (gated community)
Neighborhood: Mandarin
Details: Alfred duPont and Jessie Ball duPont owned this 25-room riverfront estate. The 15,000 square foot mansion was designed by Marsh & Saxelbye. In 1984, the estate changed to a private club known now as Epping Forest Yacht Club.

Former Theodore Flynn Store and residence

Year Built: 1909
Location: 2704 Loretto Rd. Jacksonville, FL 32223
Neighborhood: Mandarin
Details: This building had a hardware and general goods store on the first floor and the owner’s residence above. The business was successful and well known in the Mandarin community at the time. Photo courtesy of Mandarin Museum & Historical Society.

Webb and Jones Farmhouse

Year Built: 1875
Location: 11964 Mandarin Rd, Jacksonville, FL 32223
Neighborhood: Mandarin
Details: This home, built 1875, rests on 30 acres of land. It once housed the largest citrus farm in Mandarin. Major William Webb purchased the land on the St. Johns River. He built a home, barn, and 1,000-foot dock extending into the water. The home was restored back to its original condition in 2000 and is now part of the Walter Jones Historical Park. You can tour it HERE. Photo courtesy of Mandarin Museum & Historical Society.

Murray Hill Home

Year Built: 1898
Location: 916 Talbot Ave Jacksonville, FL 32205
Neighborhood: Murray Hill
Details: This is one of the first homes built in the historic Murray Hill area. Many residents built homes in Murray Hill because of its close proximity to the railroad terminal. There was a variety of different architectural styles of the homes being built. This is now a private residence.

Kingsley Plantation

Year Built: 1797
Location: 11676 Palmetto Ave. Jacksonville, FL 32226
Neighborhood: Northside
Details: The oldest residential home still standing in Jacksonville and one of the last remaining plantation house in the state. The foundations of the house, kitchen, barn and quarters were constructed of cement tabby, making them notably durable. Once a cotton plantation, it is now part of the Timucuan Ecological and Historical Preserve and maintained by the National Park Service. You can tour the Plantation HERE.

Napoleon Bonaparte Broward House

Year Built: 1897
Location: 9953 Heckscher Drive Jacksonville, FL 32226
Neighborhood: Northside
Details: This Victorian house at the mouth of the St. Johns River was purchased as a summer home by Napoleon Bonaparte Broward, Florida's 19th governor. Now this home is part of the Timucuan Trail Parks Foundation.

Leon Cheek Residence

Year Built: 1928
Location: 2263 River Boulevard Jacksonville, FL 32204
Neighborhood: Riverside/Avondale
Details: It was built in 1928-1929 at a cost of over $100,000 for Leon Cheek, head of the Cheek-Neal Coffee Company, which later became the Maxwell House Coffee Company. This house is Jacksonville's foremost example of the Jacobethan Revival style. This is a private residence.

Stringfellow Residence

Year Built: 1906
Location: 1541 Riverside Avenue Jacksonville, FL 32204
Neighborhood: Riverside/Avondale
Details: Wholesale grocer R. L. Stringfellow obtained a permit to begin construction on this handsome buff-colored brick mansion in June 1906. The eclectic design of the house shows a Colonial Revival influence, and it features a French tile roof supported by oversized brackets. This is a private residence.

Witschen Residence

Year Built: 1927
Location: 1822 Edgewood Avenue Jacksonville, FL 32205
Neighborhood: Riverside/Avondale
Details: The prominent location of this elevated corner lot allowed the architect, Jefferson Powell, to use Tudor and Jacobethan Revival motifs to create a castle-like effect. Typical of the Tudor style, there is a good deal of randomness within the overall symmetry, including eight different window styles, three different styles of brick bonds, and cut stone placed irregularly around the central facade. This is a private residence.

Red Bank Plantation House

Year Built: 1854
Location: 1230 Greenridge Rd, Jacksonville, Florida 32207
Neighborhood: San Marco
Details: This house served as the main house for the Red Bank plantation. It is one of a handful of pre-Civil War era homes still standing in Jacksonville. Albert Gallatin Philips, Duval County’s sheriff from 1833-1839, built the imposing Georgian architecture house in 1854 and operated a plantation on the 450-acre site. This is a private residence. Photo credit from Jax Historical Society.

Swisher House

Year Built: 1929
Location: 2252 River Road Jacksonville, FL 32207
Neighborhood: San Marco
Details: John H. Swisher and sons moved to Jacksonville in 1924 and started their business, King Edward cigars, which became the most popular cigars in the world. Their riverfront house is a Mediterranean Revival architecture more than 9,000 square feet. It is now a private residence.

More History

fix

Author

Katie

Local Expert- Only In Jax