Fernandina Beach ยท Residential district
The Fairbanks House
Major George Fairbanks's 1885 mansion, nicknamed 'Fairbanks Folly' by locals, now a 12-room B&B in Fernandina Beach.
- Built
- 1885built 1885 as the residence of Major George R. Fairbanks; now a B&B
- Style
- Italianate
- Architect
- Robert S. Schuyler
- Type
- B&B
- Rooms
- 12
- Price
- $$
- Area
- Residential district
- Credentials
- Listed on the National Register of Historic Places; Inside a National Register historic district
The story
Major George Rainsford Fairbanks, an attorney, historian and editor of The Florida Mirror (1879-1885), built the house in 1885; a June 1884 Florida Mirror item quoted in the NRHP nomination described the planned 14-to-16-room residence and named Schuyler as architect. Locals nicknamed it ‘Fairbanks Folly’. The NRHP nomination calls it an outstanding example of the Italianate style, with an off-center square tower, bracketed eaves and arched loggias, and the 1987 district nomination calls it the best Italianate example in Fernandina. The inn says fireplace tiles showing Shakespearean characters and Aesop’s fables were chosen by Fairbanks himself. The property sold on Sept. 28, 2020 for $1.93 million; the previous owners had bought it in 1997.
Good to know
- Breakfast: included
- Parking: on-site free
- No elevator
- No pets
- Address: 227 South 7th Street, Fernandina Beach, FL 32034
Sources (5)
- https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/6ba02714-eca0-446a-b0ad-8356faf40d8e
- https://npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/73000592
- https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/93a85bd7-7a3d-4c10-b39a-2640863b6b16
- https://fairbankshouse.com/amelia-island-history
- https://jaxdailyrecord.com/article/historic-fairbanks-house-in-the-historic-district-of-fernandina-beach-sold
Last verified October 2026. Details change; confirm with the inn before you book.