BRONSON-MULHOLLAND HOUSE

By  Mike Miller June 10, 2025

The Bronson-Mulholland House is a historic site in Palatka, Florida. Built in 1854, it sits on 3 acres along the St. Johns River.

The house, also called Sunny Point, is a Greek Revival-style mansion. It serves as a museum with period furnishings. Visitors can take free guided tours.

The City of Palatka owns and maintains it. The house hosts events like weddings and Civil War reenactments.

Bronson Mulholland House

Judge Isaac H. Bronson, a lawyer and congressman, built the house in 1854. He moved to Palatka from New York in 1852.

Bronson sponsored Palatka’s city charter and secured its status as Putnam County’s seat. He died in 1855, and his family left Florida during the Civil War.

Confederate and Union troops used the house as a lookout. In 1866, Charlotte Henry opened a school for freed slaves here.

Mary Mulholland, a Union nurse, lived in the house during the 1890s. She ran a school and aided soldiers. The house became apartments in the 1950s.

The City of Palatka bought it in 1965 and restored it with the help of the Putnam County Historical Society. 

The house is at 100 Madison Street, Palatka, Florida 32177. From US 17, turn west on Madison Street; it’s one block from the St. Johns River.

The house is open for visitors Saturdays from 1 PM to 4 PM as well as on the first Sunday of the month from 1 PM to 4 PM.

If you'd like to visit outside of these regular hours, you can arrange a tour by appointment. Call 386-329-0140 to schedule tours, ideally a week in advance.

Groups over eight should reserve early. A ramp on the left side aids accessibility. A small museum next door is worth visiting.

Check the website for event schedules, like the annual Civil War reenactment in September. 

• The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.  

• Bronson planted orange groves around the house, now gone.  

• The house has two brick chimneys, and every room has a fireplace.  

• Mary Mulholland adopted Edelmira Rivero, an orphan from Cuba.  

• The attic served as a Confederate lookout during the Civil War.  

• The house was nearly demolished in 1965 before citizens saved it.  

• Period furnishings are not original but match the 1850s era.  

• The annual “Occupation of Palatka 1864” event includes cannon demonstrations. 

CITY OF PALATKA
BRONSON-MULHOLLAND HOUSE WEBSITE