Merrill House (Florida) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Merrill House |
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| General information | |
| Architectural style | Victorian |
| Completed | 1875 |
The Merrill House is a beautiful old home in Jacksonville, Florida. It was built in 1879 and looks like a classic Victorian house. Today, the Jacksonville Historical Society takes care of it as a museum.
This house shows off the Queen Anne design. It also has special details from the Eastlake architecture style. In the year 2000, the city officially recognized it as an important historic landmark.
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A Look at the Merrill House Style
The Merrill House is a great example of the Queen Anne style. It has a square tower on one corner. You can also see fancy wooden decorations called bargeboards on the north gable. The porch has cool posts, brackets, and spindles. These details are typical of the Eastlake style.
History of the Merrill House
Building the House
The Merrill House was built for a man named James E. Merrill. He started a company in Jacksonville in 1875 that worked with iron. His company grew into Merrill-Stevens Engineering Co.. By the late 1880s, it was one of the biggest shipbuilding companies in the Southern United States.
The house was finished in 1879 at 229 Lafayette Street. It was very close to Mr. Merrill's iron works. In 1886, the family made the house even bigger.
Moving the House
The Merrill family lived in the house from 1879 until 1920. Then, Alfred Leach bought the house. His son, George Leach, later sold it to the city of Jacksonville in 1999. By the 1990s, the house was empty and in bad shape.
The city bought the house because they planned to build the Vystar Veterans Arena. Instead of tearing it down, they gave the house to the Jacksonville Historical Society. In 2000, the society moved the house to a new spot. It was moved again in 2002 to make room for the 121 Financial Ballpark.
Restoring the House
The Jacksonville Historical Society worked hard to fix up the house. They finished restoring it in 2006. The house was carefully brought back to look like it did in the early 1900s. Now, visitors can see what life was like in a historic Jacksonville home.
Gallery
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File:Jacksonville FL Merrill House msm02.jpg
See also
