From riches to ruins: step inside this abandoned millionaire’s house
Tour the eerie Florida holiday home of a banking mogul

Banking dynasty

Winter retreat

Mellon's wife, heiress Rachel Larimer Mellon, couldn't bear the bitterly cold Pennsylvania winters, so together with their three children, the family began travelling to the resort town of Palatka in Florida from 1883. For their holidays in the Sunshine State, they had this charming Eastlake-style clapboard house built, pictured here in 1910.
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Family haunt

Recently captured by urban explorer Leland Kent for Abandoned Southeast, the house served as the family's winter escape for decades. Following his wife's death in 1919, Mellon continued to visit the property until his passing in 1934. It remained in the Mellon family until the late 1930s.
Wrack and ruin

Faded grandeur

Dilapidated decor

Ornate instrument

Hidden treasure

Whether the piano is in decent working order is anyone's guess, but there's no doubting the instrument's immense value. In fact, similar restored versions sell for tens of the thousands these days. It really does beggar belief that the former owners left it here to rot.
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Domestic details

Period features

Renovation required

Structural attention

Bygone days

Vintage furnishings

While the wallpaper here is peeling away and debris litters the hardwood floor, there's still a certain charm about this space. We're particularly curious about that light green velvet chair – reupholstered, it'd make a beautiful addition to a contemporary living room.
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Retro nostalgia

Patriotic tableau

Original details

Dark and dingy

Neglected spaces

Recent revamp

Promising property

A lasting legacy

While their Palatka house may stand forlorn and neglected, the influence and legacy of the Mellons is still felt in northern Florida. Hopefully in the future, their beloved summer home will be taken in hand and new life will be breathed into its crumbling corridors.
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