THE FERREIRA HOUSE by Dickie Anderson

THE FERREIRA HOUSE by Dickie Anderson

GREAT HOMES & CHURCHES

JAN JOHANNES

This simple house with its distinctive wrap-around porch was built in 1873 by John A. Ferreira, an engineer for the Florida Railroad. In 1853, the Florida Legislature chartered the Florida Railroad to build a rail line to Tampa with a branch to Cedar Key. David Yulee, the president and chief stockholder of the Florida Railroad, opted to complete the line to Cedar Key first. It was the first rail line in Florida.

Ferreira was a key employee of the railroad from its earliest days. By 1858, the railroad was open, but a financial panic in 1857 forced Yulee to surrender his majority interest. Later, the Civil War added yet another blow to the railroad’s fortunes. The Florida Railroad later became part of the Seaboard Air Line Railroad, and, where still in use today, is operated by CSX Transportation and the First Coast Railroad.

As the railroad reorganized after the Civil War, Ferreira purchased two lots on Beech Street and constructed a home. Originally, the land had been part of a Spanish land grant acquired by Domingo Fernandez. Following the acquisition of Florida by the United States in 1821, the heirs of Domingo Fernandez sold the land grants to David Levy Yulee, who recorded the plat of the City of Fernandina in 1857.

The Most houses built at that time were vernacular, which means they were not designed by an architect, but rather were the result of the ideas and talents of their owners and builders. The house is a one-and-a-half story frame design and is noteworthy for its gable returns; transom-over entrance; arched, glazed panels in the door; and its wide, welcoming open porch. The front door, much of the glass in the house, and the wide-cut heart of pine floors are original.

A Ferreira daughter married a Sturges, and five generations of Sturges’ lived in the house, adding new additions and many family memories. The Ferriera-Sturges family owned the home for over one hundred years. The first grocery store on the island was opened by the Sturges family on the adjoining lot. The grocery store closed in the mid-1980’s.

Major renovation was done in 2005 by well-know artist Molly Mabe. Her studio was located in another small building on the property. The house served as a gallery for her oversize and dramatic paintings. One painting ran the length of the kitchen family room revealing the life of a marsh from sunset to sunrise. Mabe has since moved but current owners have appreciated her thoughtful renovations.

This article has been reprinted with permission from Dickie Anderson’s book, Great Homes & Churches: Architectural Treasures of Amelia Island. It is available at The Book Loft, Story & Song Bookstore Bistro, and the Amelia Island Museum of History.