Fairbanks House

Fairbanks House is a bed and breakfast that can be found in Fernandina Beach, Florida, which is located near the border between Georgia and Florida. The property is typically open year-round and offers a total of 12 different rooms, suites, and cottages that people can reserve. Breakfast is provided each morning and generally alternates between a sweet and a savory dish. The main house is a historical site due to the fact that it was built by George Fairbanks, a prominent figure in Florida history. Fairbanks House is located a few streets away from Centre Street, allowing guests to walk to various restaurants and businesses in the town. The bed and breakfast offers online packages for guests to personalize their stay and give them the chance to celebrate events like weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, and more.

About

There are five rooms, four suites, and three cottages that patrons can choose from for their stay at the Fairbanks House. Each is uniquely decorated and varies in color, size, and amenities. The rooms tend to be smaller in size and are suitable for shorter stays. The owners report that "The Library is the most basic room as it includes a queen bed, fireplace, and standup shower, and is more compact than the other rooms." The suites are much larger and come with a kitchen, a bathtub, and, in some cases, a jacuzzi tub. The Grand Tower is a suite that covers the entire third floor and the tower of the house and comes with a full kitchen and a large common area. The cottages are standalone houses that offer a more private experience and come with a full kitchen. Several of the suites and cottages come with a private patio where guests can sit outside. Also, they may be sizeable enough for larger groups of visitors to stay, such as The Servant's Quarters Cottage, which can house up to four people at a time. One unique cottage is The School House, which is older than the main house and was used for schooling purposes before it became a part of the Fairbanks House. Other amenities that are included with a stay at the Fairbanks House include free Wi-Fi, complimentary breakfast, and off-street parking.

Breakfast is served every day, usually from 8:00 to 9:30 in the morning, and they provide their food on China plates and real silverware. In the past, the owners have made dishes such as bread pudding with peach topping, specialty sausages, pesto tomato, feta cheese quiche, avocado toast, Belgian blackberry waffles, and more. Accommodations can be made for guests that have special dietary needs like vegetarian, gluten-free, or low sodium, as long as enough time has been provided in advance for the owner. Breakfast is typically eaten in the dining room of the main house, but guests can also take their food outside to the courtyard patio or side porch if they would like.

The bed and breakfast has a variety of common areas where guests can spend their time during their stay. The whole main floor is open for everyone to use and branches off to two outdoor porches, both with fans for warmer temperatures and one with heating, in hopes of allowing visitors to spend time outside even during the colder times of the year. A patio downstairs offers tables and seating with an umbrella. Fairbanks House has a gazebo with fire pits, which is where they hold elopements, one event that they are typically known for hosting. A swimming pool can be found on the side of the house and offers guests a place to lounge outside and swim. They also have a small gift shop that sells souvenirs like mugs, shirts, bags, and more with their business logo.

Beyond the property lines, visitors can find the city of Fernandina Beach, which is split by a river and the ocean to create several islands. According to one of the owners, Rob, "The property is about as far north as you can be while still being in Florida." The island that Fairbanks House is on is about 13 miles across. The town has several historic buildings, including the bed and breakfast, especially in the downtown area and on Centre Street. Fairbanks House is located about three blocks from Centre Street, which can allow guests to walk to many places and restaurants in the vicinity.

Culture

The owners of Fairbanks House, Rob and Yvonne Batterton, explain that their business is most known for its hospitality. They would like their guests to feel at home and comfortable while staying at the bed and breakfast. To help them feel this way, the owners always have someone that can greet patrons on their way in or out of the house. That way, they can check in with their guests and can get them certain things that they may need for their stay. The employees can also act as concierges and help visitors make reservations for trolley tours, river tours, and restaurants. Rob mentions that, on many occasions, people that are staying at the property are celebrating an event like weddings, anniversaries, and birthdays, so "[he tries] to do something special for occupants that are staying during a special time."

Their most common event is elopement for couples that want a more quiet setting to be married. They also have packages for honeymoons, anniversaries, a "Just Because" Romance Package for people who would like to have a more romantic stay, and a "Make Me Over" Package that includes a spa-like treatment and makeover. Besides the aforementioned events that patrons can choose to add to their reservations, the business also hosts a complimentary Social Hour each evening. Depending on the time of year, though typically around 4:30 or 5:30 in the afternoon, guests can gather in the main house or on the outdoor patio and enjoy a drink of beer, wine, tea, or others while they sit, listen to music, or talk to other patrons in a social setting.



The owner explains that the property is open year-round, with a few exceptions. The least busy time of the year tends to be during the months of January and October, but throughout the rest of the year, the business remains consistently active. The typical demographic of visitors to Fairbanks House is most often couples or groups of various ages that are celebrating their wedding or anniversary.

Many of those who have stayed at the Fairbanks House have left reviews about their stay. One thing that is often mentioned in these reviews is the care that the staff puts into the property. Someone who recently stayed at Fairbanks House left a review that says, "The inn is beautiful, and the Kitchen Suite was comfortable. The location was great, and the staff was welcoming and attentive. They did a good job with our elopement package and handled everything from the officiant to the photographer, a tour of the island, dinner, and cake."

History

Fairbanks House has been run by Rob and Yvonne, the current owners, for about a year and a half, although it has been a bed and breakfast for roughly 30 years. The family took over operations of the establishment in 2020, and since then have done interior updates and made an effort to keep the grounds landscaped with local plant life.

Upon the completion of construction, the house became the only house on the island to have an elevator, basement, or telephone. The mansion was originally built by George Fairbanks, who used it as a place where he and his family would come during the winter season to get out of the north and escape the colder temperatures. His wife wanted a house that was big enough for each of their 7 children to have a bedroom of their own. An architect, Robert Shuyler, was contracted to design the home for George Fairbanks, with the completion of the structure occurring in 1885. It wasn't until some time in the 1990s that the house was turned into a bed and breakfast.

One unique aspect of the property is that the main building is not the oldest one on the property. The School House Cottage was constructed in 1880, five years before the Fairbanks house was completed. After operating as a schoolhouse for years, the cottage was replaced by a larger and more modern building. The owner explains that when that schoolhouse fell into disrepair, "they hitched up their wagons and moved it over here."

Rob and Yvonne have made several changes since becaming the owners of Fairbanks House. They have updated the furnishings in the house, added speakers throughout the edifice, and put in various antiques and historical objects in many of the rooms.  In the future, they plan on updating The Carriage House and continuing to refurbish the interiors of the buildings.