Sadly, Historic Florida House Inn Closes in Fernandina Beach, Amelia Island

The historic inns of Fernandina Beach, Florida are part of her quaint charm, adding ambiance to this riverfront, Victorian-era city. Sadly, the historic Florida House Inn, said to be the state of Florida’s “oldest continuously-operated tourist hotel,” has not survived the “Great Recession” of present day. At least economically speaking, the owner/innkeeper, has not.

The Florida House is located on Amelia Island, Florida in the historic district of Fernandina Beach (America’s second oldest city, established after St. Augustine, FL). The local newspaper (Florida’s "oldest weekly newspaper" -- the News-Leader) has reported the grand old dame's doors were closed this past week. (Foreclosure documents reportedly had been filed during the first week of the new year in 2010, and the current owner was delinquent in paying taxes to Nassau County.)

Florida House has also been referred to as Florida’s “oldest surviving hotel”, so there may be some semantics here, but “if these walls could talk” the fascinating history would gush out. The hotel pre-dates the Civil War. During the year Florida House was built, 1857, James Buchanan was President.

The Florida House Inn, a landmark building in Fernandina Beach, has been a regular stop for local historic tours. No doubt thousands of folks, just in the last decade, have stood outside on a walking tour, and listened to a docent or tour guide recount the inn’s long history. She first accommodated the workers and passengers of the Cross-Florida Railroad. The footsteps of famous people have also walked this inn’s floorboards, including Ulysses S. Grant, Jose Marti, Rockefellers, Carnegies -- even Laurel & Hardy.

If you’ve ever visited the historic district of Fernandina Beach, it’s likely that you’ve either walked by the Florida House, enjoyed a drink in its pub or a bite to eat (or even stayed overnight in one of its rooms). The eight flags of Amelia Island, dubbed “the isle of 8 Flags,” were often displayed above the inn’s front verandah.

Personally, I’ve stood out front on the sidewalk with Girl Scouts on a tour. I’ve eaten at least three Southern-style Thanksgiving dinners in years past at the inn’s wonderful boarding house dining room. I’ve attended a wedding and reception in the inn’s beautiful rear courtyard, and listened to a live band in the courtyard during Shrimp Festival weekend. And I’ve sat inside in the pub-style bar (more recently called the Frisky Mermaid), and enjoyed a drink, from time to time, over the years.

The closing is not just a loss for tourists. Plenty of local residents have spent time at this inn. The innkeeper appeared to be quite industrious and creative with activities held at Florida House. This was not a dull, old inn by any means. It was a community meeting place of sorts, where some local groups got together. The entertainment and event schedule at Florida House included live entertainment with blue grass jams, shag dancing, and an ongoing songwriter’s contest. It was dubbed "songwriter central" in northeast Florida and southeast Georgia. Instrument workshops were held at the inn, including guitar, violin, fiddle and banjo. (No doubt there are plenty of musicians who are sad to hear this venue is gone -- for the time being, at any rate.) Thus, the inn’s social calendar seemed pretty full with a variety of things to attract folks to spend some time there. Apparently it was not enough, though, to keep it afloat in the environment of recent years.

Unfortunately, the Florida House Inn is Fernandina’s third bed & breakfast to shutter in recent months. Thus, Fernandina’s historic district inns are experiencing challenging times. (Another bed & breakfast, the Bailey House, a marvelous Queen Anne, is no longer operating as an inn, having been purchased a few years ago for a private residence.)

I imagine being an innkeeper is not an easy task. Many of these folks reside within the property, so they welcome strangers into their homes. The best of these historic inns typically have a treasure trove of antique furnishings, valuable and exposed to the public. They are running mini-hotels, and the hands-on types (without large staffs) must rise very early, perhaps to do the baking and preparations for the wonderful breakfasts -- a staple of B & Bs. Surely, there's plenty of competition within the B & B industry, from town to town and state to state. Plus these innkeepers compete for the tourist dollar with other types of lodging.

It’s also not easy to run a business within a special "historic district." There are additional rules and regulations (meant to keep the historic character intact). A controversy here in the city has been the “noise ordinance.” There’s also been issues with business signs, as well, from what I've heard.

I think owning a B & B has been the dream of many. There are folks who fall in love with the idea of running this type of business.

When one door shuts, another one opens, so opportunity is knocking. While it’s unfortunate for the current owner, hopefully a new proprietor will desire to bring the Florida House back to life, sooner rather than later. Maybe it will be sold as a short sale or on the courthouse steps. It appears a new owner or investor will probably get a rare Florida historic property at a discount.

In the meantime, Amelia Island still offers wonderful historic inns awaiting visitors. Keep them in mind when you next plan a trip to historic Fernandina Beach. Take a look at their web sites: Addison on Amelia, Fairbanks House, and the Amelia Island Williams House.


UPDATE: On January 25, 2010 Jacksonville's TV station NEWS4JAX.COM published their video interview at the Florida House Inn with the innkeepers, click here to watch the news story.

W.B. Lawson
www.AmeliaIslandLiving.com
www.AmeliaIslandLiving.net
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