Historic houses being put on display

Here’s a chance to take a peek inside a northside Palatka home that dates back more than 100 years.

The home is the circa 1916 Wilson-Cypress House, 407 Mulholland Park, which will be part of the Woman’s Club of Palatka’s 2023 Christmas Tour of Homes on Saturday.

The tour, which will last from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., will cross two historic districts and begin at the group’s headquarters, 600 S. 13th St. in Palatka.

According to event coordinator Elizabeth van Rensburg, there will be 13 properties on the tour, only two of which have been on the tour before, and they are scattered around downtown Palatka and beyond.

“We are showcasing homes of all sizes and shapes,” she said. “We have everything from tiny cottages to local landmarks. Some of the more notable properties include the Wilson-Cypress House, the Old Governor’s Mansion and the Campbell House.”

Tour tickets are $30 per person, with cash or checks accepted. Tickets are available in downtown Palatka at Ladybugs Gifts Shop, Miss D’s Quilts, Azalea City Brewing Co. and Lemon Street Market as well as at Blue Water Jewelers in St. Augustine. Tickets can also be purchased at the door at the Woman’s Club.

Tour-goers will bring their tickets to the clubhouse to receive armbands and programs. The tour begins in whatever order individuals choose.

“They might start at one of the outlying homes – for example, the historic Civil War-era home at Browns Landing – or either begin with a Victorian home in the South Historic District,” van Rensburg said. “It is a park and walk tour and those who participate will be able to go into private homes that have been decorated for the season.”

Proceeds from the tour will go to fund campers at Camp Boggy Creek, a camp in Eustis for children with medical issues.

The Wilson-Cypress Home was once owned by Fred Herbert Wilson, son of A.E. Wilson, cofounder of Wilson Cypress Co., the second-largest cypress mill in the world at one time, according to a press release.

The Wilson-Cypress House stayed in the Wilson family until six years ago when it was bought by husband and wife, Bob Morgan and Beverly Genader.

“Most of the original features remain, although we did just do a complete remodel on the kitchen,” Genader said.

“We also did a complete restoration that took about 18 months,” Morgan said.

Genader said the home has an interesting story beginning when Fred Wilson married Mollie Stewart Braithwaite, who was born in Belfast, Ireland, and had a fear of snakes.

So, the couple’s home was designed with Prairie School architecture, which included horizontal emphasis with broad overhanging eaves, contrasting types of exterior materials, narrow paired windows and a bungalow-type porch.

When asked what drew him to the historic home, Morgan said his response was “largely the design” and for its location, “deep water, high elevation.”

Morgan and Genader have found lots of use in living in their three-story home, which includes a basement.

“We both love old homes,” Genader said. “We live in the two stories and our grandchildren keep their toys and play on the third floor.”

The couple said their home has some unique things about it, too.

“The eclectic use of cypress shingles and clapboard and glass and lead,” Morgan said. “We believe it is rare. The boathouse, while having numerous design changes, is truly unique. Like the Wilson mill property, the boathouse has deeded submerged land ownership, which is very rare.”

Genader believes this year’s tour of homes is the first time her home will be shown to the public.

“We wanted to do it because it sounds like fun and we commonly have large get-togethers,” she said. “We moved here because Bob wanted to get away from winter weather and to a more business-friendly state.”

Two homes on this year’s tour have never been open to the public, including the one owned by van Rensburg, and other residents never expected to have the opportunity to get a look inside.

“I’m personally and extremely excited about this fundraiser,” van Rensburg said. “It has been eight years since Palatka has had a Christmas Tour of Homes. Many of our homeowners are new residents in our community and they are excited to be here with us. It is a giant tour. I don’t believe we have ever had more than eight homes on a tour, at least in the nearly 20 years I’ve lived here.”

Genader likes to think of the Wilson family who first owned her home all those years ago and the idea that they raised their children in a house that would be passed down from generation to generation.

Morgan and Genader, who also own homes in New York and Connecticut, said owning a home like their Palatka residence requires ongoing repairs and upgrades and wouldn’t quite fit the bill as their dream home.

“We love all of our homes,” Morgan said. “A dream house would be an age-friendly design with no repairs through our lives with a dramatic oceanfront with the clearest water. So no, none of our places are the dream places, but they come close.”