Hummingbird House is an 1871 home in the Palatka South Historic District, a neighborhood of nineteenth-century houses listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. It is rented whole, to one party, and it is a few minutes’ walk from the riverfront and from downtown Palatka’s restaurants and murals.
What makes it historic?
Palatka received its city charter in 1853 and spent the decades after the Civil War as a river port and winter resort, when the streets south of downtown became the fashionable place to build. The National Register nomination for the district names South 4th Street among the streets particularly noteworthy for homes of that era. The house was restored down to the studs by its previous owners, keeping the twelve-foot ceilings, heart pine floors, and original doors with their old knobs.
What is the house like inside?
- Two bedrooms and a daybed on the landing upstairs, sleeping six: a king in white linen, a queen in blue gingham, and the daybed for two until a queen Murphy bed arrives.
- A full bath with a clawfoot tub upstairs and a half bath downstairs.
- A cook’s kitchen with a gas cooktop, butcher-block counters, and an island with stools.
- A gas fireplace, a shelf of real books, and board games for a slow evening.
- The long north porch, shaded all day, with wicker chairs and ceiling fans.
- Central heat and air, hotel-grade linens, a washer and dryer, and a paver driveway with easy parking.
What is within walking distance?
Riverfront Park and the boat ramp, about three blocks east. Downtown’s more than 30 murals. Angel’s Dining Car, serving since 1932. The Bronson-Mulholland House, built in 1854. See a weekend in Palatka for the full walk.
Who is it for?
Couples and small groups who would rather have a whole house with character than a chain hotel: a porch to sit on, a kitchen to cook in, and a neighborhood to walk. It works for a two-night escape from Jacksonville, Orlando, or Gainesville, for a festival weekend, or as a base for St. Augustine without the St. Augustine prices.