Greek Revival B&B in Florida's Oldest Inland Town
402 NE Cholokka Boulevard, Micanopy, FL 32667
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$$
Bed-and-breakfast room rates; check venue website for current pricing.
Access
Limited Access
Paved with steps
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1845 · National Register of Historic Places · Greek Revival Architecture · Florida Pioneer History
Micanopy claims status as Florida's oldest inland town and sits in the live-oak country south of Gainesville. The Herlong Mansion stands at 402 NE Cholokka Boulevard, in the heart of the Micanopy Historic District.
The house began as a modest farmhouse built by the Simonton family around 1845. The Simontons were among the earliest American settlers in Micanopy. By 1910, after Natalie Simonton married the entrepreneur Zetty Herlong, the building had undergone substantial remodeling: the original farmhouse core was wrapped in Greek Revival detailing, with four full-height Corinthian columns at the front and an expanded second story.
The Herlongs raised six children in the house. After their parents' deaths, the siblings spent more than two decades in disagreement over ownership. Inez Herlong, the eldest, eventually took possession in the 1950s. According to the property's own historical materials and multiple paranormal-history accounts, Inez suffered a diabetic episode the same day she took possession of the house and died in what had been her childhood bedroom on the upper floor.
The mansion was purchased in 1990 by Sonny Howard, who restored it and converted the property into a bed-and-breakfast. The Herlong Mansion Bed & Breakfast is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and continues to operate as an overnight inn under current ownership. The grounds include camellia and rose gardens that are open to guests.
Sources
The Herlong Mansion is one of the better-documented haunted bed-and-breakfasts in Florida, in part because it has been investigated by named researchers rather than only anonymous online posters. Dr. Andrew Nichols, a Gainesville-based parapsychologist, conducted multiple investigations at the property and characterized it as a classical haunting in his published findings.
Reports concentrate on Inez's bedroom on the upper floor. A repeatedly described phenomenon involves a particular upstairs bedroom door: when locked, it rattles loudly through the night; when closed but unlocked, it stays silent. Construction workers and caretakers have reported phantom footsteps overhead and the sound of doors opening and closing on the upper floor when the building was empty.
Guests have described a calmer, less startling encounter. A couple reported seeing a female figure pass across the surface of a dressing-table mirror, draped in what appeared to be a red shawl, moving without urgency. A housekeeper working downstairs reported hearing footsteps overhead and called out Inez's name; a door slammed in response.
The house's caretakers describe Inez as a settled, non-aggressive presence. There is no folklore of harm to guests — only a sense of continued occupancy by the woman who waited two decades to inherit the home and died on the day it became hers.
Notable Entities
Media Appearances
Stay in one of the upper-floor guest rooms of the 1845 Greek Revival mansion. Inez's childhood bedroom is among the rooms guests can request; the property is open about its haunted reputation and the documented account of Inez Herlong's death there.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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