Herlong Mansion Bed & Breakfast in Micanopy

The original house that is today known as the Herlong Mansion was originally a simple "cracker style" pine farm home built circa 1845. It was a two-story affair with a detached kitchen built by the Simonton family, one of the original settlers of Micanopy. The site of the mansion was along an Indian trading route, now known as Cholokka Boulevard.

After its construction, the pine farmhouse came into the possession of Natalie Simonton, who married Zeddy Clarence ("ZC") Herlong in 1910. ZC was a young and prosperous entrepreneur whose lumber mills, railroad, cattle, citrus and farming operations generated the wealth necessary to remodel the once humble farm house in the grand style of the mansion today.

Together, Mr. Zetty & Mrs. Natalie Herlong created the Greek Revival Mansion over the old home to make a home for their family in the style to which they were accustomed. In 1910, the original structure was “encased within a brick classic revival imitation of a Southern colonial design.”

There are four obligatory Corinthian style columns on the front of the house that evoke a much more elegant time. The interior of the house--much of which is Arts & Crafts style--was fitted with elegant leaded-glass windows, fine wood paneling, and intricately laid floors using oak, maple, and mahogany.

In these stately surroundings, ZC and Natalie raised six children: Mae, Natalie (nicknamed "Pink"), V.J., John, Dorothy and Inez for whom the mansions rooms are named.

Natalie Herlong maintained title to the property, and when she passed away in 1950, she left the Herlong Mansion to her six children equally, with the understanding that their father could live there until his death. He was to live for another ten years, during which time the mansion fell into disrepair. When Mr. Herlong died, all of the six siblings wanted the Mansion. What followed as an eighteen-year family feud.

Inez Herlong Miller, daughter of ZC and Natalie Herlong, was a former school teacher and dress shop owner. Inez's husband Fletcher Miller had died, leaving her enough money to buy out her siblings. Inez Herlong had her beloved home and set about to restore the stately home to the beauty and graciousness it had enjoyed before her mother died.

One account tells us that Inez walked inside the mansion one day when she was 68, apparently making her way to her old childhood room. It was there that she was found some hours later in a diabetic coma. Inez Herlong Miller died less than a month later without ever regaining consciousness. Legend has it, however, that the disappointed ghost of Inez haunted the mansion. If she does remain, and most believe she has left, she is nothing but welcoming and hospitable.

The mansion remained in Inez's son's possession and, unfortunately, fell into a state of disrepair. In 1986, the mansion was purchased and converted into a bed and breakfast by two couples from Orlando, Florida. In 1990, a local businessman purchased the mansion and further restored it, renovating the attic and cottages. The result was an additional six guest rooms.

Throughout the renovations, the mansion was preserved in large part as it was in the time of the Herlong family's occupancy.

Although under different ownership throughout the years, the Herlong has been upgraded and improved in the true spirit of its original and impressive architecture.

Today, the Herlong is one of the most popular retreats in the area, and is open year round as a bed and breakfast. Still retaining its Victorian beauty and with a unique eclectic style, it has six beautifully decorated guest rooms, three suites, and three charming cottages.

The Carriage House once sheltered the Herlong's horses and the Pump House housed the original pump and generator. The pump was used to pump water from the well up to the water tower (also still standing). The water tower was connected to the mansion by a pipe that gravity fed water to the mansion. Therefore, residents benefited from electricity and pressurized indoor plumbing long before "modern" electric service became available to the area in 1938.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, The Herlong Mansion is set back from the street and is surrounded by a lovely garden with statuesque old oak and pecan trees. The Innkeepers meticulously maintain the grounds, filled with azaleas, roses an a wide variety of flowers and plants which bloom nearly year-round in the warm weather of North Central Florida.

In addition to its popularity as a local inn and bed and breakfast, the Herlong is also a popular venue for small, quaint weddings.

The Herlong is part of the small community of Micanopy which houses antique shops, eateries, a cozy ambiance, and a warm Southern hospitality befitting this stately home away from home.

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