Location Gainesville, Florida Phone +1 352-378-2280 | NRHP Reference # 73000564 Added to NRHP 4 June 1973 | |
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Address 528 SE 1st Ave, Gainesville, FL 32601, USA Architectural styles Vernacular architecture, Greek Revival architecture, Georgian architecture, Federal architecture Similar Matheson History Museum, Mary Phifer McKenzie House, Haile Homestead, Cox Furniture Warehouse, Epworth Hall | ||
The Matheson House is a historic building in Gainesville, Florida, United States. It is located at 528 Southeast 1st Avenue. It was the home of eight-term mayor Chris Matheson, who was also a state legislator. The building is now part of the Matheson Museum, which recounts the history of Alachua County. On June 4, 1973, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. The house is open by appointment only.
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History
The Matheson house was constructed in 1857 by the Matheson family from Camden, South Carolina. While it was unoccupied during the civil war, James Douglas Matheson moved into it 1867 with his wife, Augusta Florida Steele. Their son, Christopher Matheson, later inherited the house. Christopher's widow, Sarah Hamilton Matheson, would eventually deed the house to the Matheson Museum shortly before her death in 1996.
Architecture
The House combines South Carolina plantation architecture on the first floor with Classic Revival raised cottage architecture on the later added second floor. The roof and interior stairway have gothic design elements, and the house possesses a gambrel roof uncommon to Florida.