J. R. Field Homestead, house in Florida, United States of America

The J. R. Field Homestead is a two-story house built in the 1880s on Merritt Island in Florida. It sits on large grounds overlooking the Indian River and contains original furnishings and household items that reveal daily life from that period.

John Moss Field first came to Florida in the 1830s during the Second Seminole War. In 1868 he moved his family from Macon, Georgia, to Merritt Island, but within a year most returned to Macon except sons John Robert and Samuel Joseph Field. The two-story house dates to the 1880s, and the property was listed on the National Register on September 11, 1997.

The homestead reflects how early settlers lived on the island, with original furnishings and simple rooms that show daily routines of families like the Fields. The house and surrounding land reveal the connection between people and the natural world that defined life in that era.

The house is open on specific days, especially during festivals and events like the annual oyster and fish fry in fall. Check the visiting schedule in advance and wear comfortable shoes to explore the grounds and surrounding riverfront area.

Since about 2015 the museum has held an annual oyster and fish fry each fall, a fundraiser built on a Field family tradition of gathering over fried seafood. The event is separate from the house itself, which holds original furniture and beadboard walls.