The Most Unique Homes in Northeast Florida

Whether you’re looking for luxury, history, modern amenities or architectural design, Northeast Florida has some of the most unique and beautiful homes in the state. As a locally-owned real estate company with over 30 years of experience — serving Jacksonville, St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra and St. Johns County — we’ve seen a lot of spectacular homes, and here are some of our favorites.

Sinclair Lewis’ Vilano Beach Retreat

Located at 177 Surfside Avenue on Vilano Beach, this historic beach cottage was built in 1916 on multiple waterfront lots. The home sits along a tidal creek connecting to the Intracoastal Waterway, and is a cozy, wood-shingled bungalow that exudes Old Florida charm. It features a giant front porch, coquina fireplace and quaint guest house. It oozes abundant natural beauty, with towering oaks and palms, ferns and tropical trees, a woodshed, raised garden beds and even a hen house. This beautiful retreat is a famous one too — once home to Pulitzer Prize-winning author Sinclair Lewis. In the 1920s, he rented the shingled bungalow to write his novels Main Street (1920), Babbit (1922), Arrowsmith (1925) and his best-known work, Elmer Gantry (1927). Just steps from the beach, this historic property is an outdoor haven in one of St. Augustine’s most desirable locations.

Pillars Castle in St. Augustine

Located at 16 May Street in St. Augustine, this one-of-a-kind, pink, historic, luxury estate was built circa 1925. A real-life castle right in the heart of historic downtown, Pillars Castle is a breathtaking and iconic architectural masterpiece. Fully-restored to preserve its historic charm, Pillars is known for its ornate engineering, original stained glass windows, coffered ceilings and stone fireplaces — and recent owners incorporated modern luxury throughout. The beautifully pink castle boasts over 4,400 square feet, a grand hall, formal dining, chef’s kitchen, custom bar and the most perfect private exterior with beautifully landscaped grounds and an elegant courtyard and fountain. Designed by American sculptor C. Adrian Pillars, who lived in St. Augustine between 1919 and 1932, Pillars Castle stands as a symbol of the city’s rich heritage.

Butterfly House in Arlington

Located in the Arlington neighborhood of Jacksonville, the Butterfly House is a mid-century-modern architectural gem, designed and built by architect Bob Broward in 1957 for what was a new neighborhood in Arlington called Alderman Park. It gets its name from the upward and inward sloping roofs, a feature that resembles the wingspan of a butterfly. This iconic structure was inspired by rainstorm water collection, where the roof collects water and funnels it into pools. The unique home sadly went neglected for years, and suffered massive disrepair until 2016, when the current owner worked meticulously to restore the home back to its 1957 appearance — using original blueprints found in the University of Florida archives. The mid-century masterpiece boasts terrazzo floors, bright blue accents in the kitchen, a butter yellow stovetop, walls of glass in the front and back of the house, a floor-to-ceiling furnace and interior walls of pecky cypress.

Milam Residence in Ponte Vedra Beach

Located at 1033 Ponte Vedra Blvd, tucked along the A1A Scenic Byway in Ponte Vedra Beach, the Milam Residence, also known as The Arthur Milam House, is a stunning mid-century-modern structure. Completed in 1961 by famed architect Paul Rudolph, the home was commissioned by lawyer and philanthropist Arthur Milam and his wife Teresa. Known as one of America’s most iconic homes on the East Coast, it was one of Architectural Record’s 20 “Record Houses” of 1963, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2016. There’s even an architectural drawing of the house by Rudolph in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. The two-story, 6,800 square-foot house has an unusual geometric facade of concrete squares and rectangles that face the Atlantic Ocean, which are meant as a striking visual element but also serve to shade the interior and deflect storm winds. The home has seven levels with varying heights, floor-to-ceiling glass windows, and terrazzo floors that match the color of the sand just out front.

Prince Road Container House in St. Augustine

Located at 1369 Prince Road in St. Augustine, this home is made entirely of shipping containers — nine in total — and is known as PRCH: Prince Road Container House. Designed by owner Rob DePiazza, a former art gallery owner and visual artist, along with Stephen Bender, a Gainesville architect, the home has been featured by Apartment Therapy, Atlas Obscura and other media outlets around the world. DePiazza was inspired to build the container house after his home was destroyed by Hurricane Irma in 2017 — which is depicted in a mural on the outside of one of the containers, painted by Riccardo Nannini, a Barcelona-based Italian artist. PRCH is just as unique on the inside as the out, filled with top-of-the-line tech, vintage mid-century furnishings, a working 1950s jukebox, chef’s kitchen with a 6-burner Viking gas range, 1950s restaurant booth and unique and colorful decor and art. There’s even a Finnish Sauna, constructed of Canadian Red Cedar. On an oversized lot, with lush landscaping, the home is also just 100 meters from beautiful Moultrie Creek.

Cheek’s Castle in Riverside

The Leon Cheek Residence, also known as the castle on the river or Cheek’s castle, is located at 2263 River Boulevard in Jacksonville. Built circa 1928 by Roy Benjamin, one of Jacksonville’s most prolific architects, the monumental house was commissioned as a family home by Leon Cheek, head of the Cheek-Neal Coffee Company (later the Maxwell House Coffee Company). Benjamin designed the castle in the Jacobethan Revival Style, with romantic and elegant architectural design elements, including Tudor arches over windows and doors, leaded glass windows, elaborate and ornate detailing, a slate roof, and massive polygonal chimneys. Dark brick and white masonry frame every opening of the building and a three-and-a-half story tower, with a crenelated parapet, contributes to the castle-like features of the home. The great room even has the true height of a cathedral ceiling. The riverfront castle and its dramatic scale makes it one of Jacksonville’s most memorable mansions.

If you’re looking for a unique property, we at Davidson Realty are here to help. Call us today at 904-940-5000 or email at info@davidsonrealtyinc.com.