Architectural treasures of Amelia Island

Architectural Treasures of Amelia Island

Amelia Island offers a unique opportunity to experience history. Fernandina Beach's Historic District is a living museum. Like sleeping beauties, the island's Victorian-era homes have been frozen in time. Each offers a story about the people and events that shaped the history of Florida's northernmost barrier island.

Once a month, we will feature a home located in Fernandina Beach’s Historic District.

Prescott House

The elegant Prescott house on North Sixth Street is a two-story, vernacular frame home rich in details typical of a Victorian-era home. Inspired by Chinese Chippendale's intricate design motifs, the elaborate carpentry detailing adds great charm to the house. Notable features include the faceted bay windows and brackets that support the roof overhang.

After the Civil War, Lieutenant Josiah Prescott of the Union Army purchased property on Amelia Island and completed his house in 1876. Prescott was an entrepreneur who worked as a shoe dealer, served as director of the First National Bank, and was a member of the Board of the Fernandina Dock and Realty Company.

Originally, the house had a detached kitchen connected by a breezeway. In the late 1800s, additions included an in-house kitchen, a dining room, a parlor, and bedrooms on the second floor. The original house had a driveway that circled the house and led to the detached garage.

In the years after the Civil War, Fernandina continued to be devastated by fires. In 1876 a fire broke out in a carpenter’s shop and quickly spread, destroying 40 buildings, including the post office, city offices and the Charleston Steamship Company’s facilities. In 1883 another significant fire caused approximately $40,000 in damages. After that date, all buildings were required to be built of brick, significantly shaping future architecture in the downtown.

Prescott built a two-story brick building on Centre Street at Second. Originally a dry goods store and haberdashery, it was eventually sold to Louis G. Hirth, who spared no expense, converting the building into the Palace Saloon in 1903. The saloon was popular with the rich and famous, including the Carnegies and their visitors from the North. Architecturally, the Palace Saloon is a preserved gem from the turn of the 20th century. Its interior boasts a grand 40-foot hand-carved mahogany bar, ornate tin ceilings, mosaic tile floors, and hand-painted murals.

In the late 1800s, North Sixth Street between Broom and Alachua was considered the most fashionable street on Amelia Island. The Prescott House is one of six elegant houses in what became known as the island's Silk Stocking District. The design of many houses built at that time reflected the influence of the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia and the Victorian-style model houses on display. The Sixth Street houses are set back from the street with beautifully maintained lawns and generous lots. Towering oaks over a hundred years old shade the homes.

North Sixth Street serves as a living museum with outstanding examples of houses built during Fernandina's Golden Era. The Prescott House is a fine example of Fernandina Beach’s Victorian treasures — it represents a period of prosperity, culture, and craftsmanship. The Amelia Island Museum of History offers docent-led walking tours that share stories about the families that lived on North Sixth Street in the glory days of Fernandina.

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