06/01/2026
The Jesse V. Carnes House, constructed about 1912, is located at 1506 River Blvd, on land which was once owned by Benjamin F. Stiles of New York. Stiles was one of the most prominent citrus growers and real estate developers in the Orange Park area during the post-Civil War Period.
The 3-bedroom, 1.5 bath Colonial Revival home was constructed for Jesse V. Carnes and his wife, Mary Grace Carnes. Carnes came to Florida from Steubenville, Ohio in 1893. He initially settled at Jacksonville, where he opened a fish processing plant under the name J.V. Carnes Company. He moved to Orange Park in 1904 and relocated the operation of his business to River Road.
Carnes was a leading political figure in Orange Park during the early twentieth century. He served as town mayor for many years and as a town commissioner.
His first fishing business site in Orange Park was a two story building on the town pier at the end of Kingsley Ave. In 1914 the plant was moved to what we now call Nelson Point, on Doctors Lake. With room to expand, J.V. Carnes Co. became the hub for a rapidly growing commercial fishing industry in the area. On early mornings the catch gathered the night before was unloaded, headed, gutted, weighed and a price negotiated on the spot. Waste was piled up on the beach and the rest packed in boxes with ice and moss and loaded into waiting trucks which lit out for Jacksonville and points unknown.
In 1922 the Carnes sold their home and it went through a few other owners. In 1935 it was sold to the Southern District Home for Aged British, a group that provided, within the State of Florida, a home for aged men and women of British birth or British ancestry not exceeding two generations,
The home retains its original charm in many ways. Hardwood floors throughout most of home. and a huge walk-in pantry reflect the early 1900s. There are features such as the eat-in-kitchen, dining room, family room with fireplace and seating area at top of stairs that add charm to the home. Shingle siding and shingle roof makes the house stand out among the historic homes on River Road.
