Red Bank Plantation House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Red Bank Plantation
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Front and side of the house
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 Location in Florida
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1230 Greenridge Rd., Jacksonville, Florida |
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| Area | Less than 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1854 |
| Architectural style | Georgian |
| NRHP reference No. | 72000311 |
| Added to NRHP | October 18, 1972 |
The Red Bank Plantation House is a historic home in Jacksonville, Florida. It was built in 1854 as the main house for a large farm called Red Bank Plantation. Today, it is a private home in the Colonial Manor area of Jacksonville's San Marco neighborhood. You can find it at 1230 Greenridge Road. This important house was added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 18, 1972.
History of Red Bank Plantation
The story of Red Bank Plantation goes back to the 1700s. The name "Red Bank" was already being used by 1793, when Florida was under Spanish rule. Francisco Flora owned the land back then.
In 1799, William Craig bought the property. Over the years, it was owned by several important landowners. These included Isaiah Hart, Isaac Hendricks, and finally Albert Gallatin Philips. Philips developed the land into a large 450-acre farm. By 1850, many land owners in the area were connected by marriage. Albert Gallatin Philips began building the Red Bank Plantation House in 1854.
After the American Civil War ended, the Philips family stayed at the house. However, they sold most of the surrounding land for new homes after Albert Philips passed away in 1873. The area became part of the growing community of South Jacksonville, which is now known as San Marco. A small town called Philips even grew up near the train station east of the house. In the 1920s, the rest of the land was planned for new neighborhoods like South Riverside and Colonial Manor.
The Red Bank House Itself
Albert Philips' first house at Red Bank was made of wood. It unfortunately burned down after only a few years. This led him to build the current house out of brick between 1854 and 1857.
The two-story house was made from red clay bricks. These bricks were actually made by hand right there on the property! At the time, it was said to be the only brick building between Jacksonville and Palatka.
After Albert Philips died in 1873, his son Matthew Philips continued to live in the house. The house remained a home even as the old farm land was sold off for new neighborhoods. In the 1920s, as the Colonial Manor area grew, the house's front door faced the wrong way from Greenridge Road. So, the door was moved to another side of the house, and a small porch was added.
The building was even turned into a restaurant for a while! It was first called the Candlewick Inn, and then Johnson's Chicken House. But in 1937, it became a home again. Today, it is the second oldest house in Jacksonville that is still being used as a residence. It was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 18, 1972.
