A 1913 Sanborn map of West Adams Road. | Jacksonville Public Library
As soon as a quiet residential hall, West Adams Road was a defining characteristic of LaVilla throughout its time as an integrated municipality between 1869 and 1887. This character started to vary dramatically following two key occasions: the 1897 opening of the Jacksonville Terminal Firm’s Union Depot and the Nice Fireplace of 1901. These developments spurred the road’s transformation from a stretch of modest wooden body properties right into a bustling, urbanized thoroughfare.
West Adams Road’s transition towards industrial prominence started on the intersections of Davis and Broad Streets. With LaVilla rising as Jacksonville’s premier railroad hub, the road shortly attracted new companies. Early industrial growth included the opening of Liveries and stables because the south aspect of the neighborhood emerged as the town’s premier railroad hub and pink gentle district.
Within the years following the 1901 fireplace, the road’s once-dense assortment of two-story body residences gave option to brick storefronts, boarding homes, and accommodations catering to the rising variety of guests arriving by prepare. Many proprietors lived above their companies, lending the world a vibrant, multicultural character, together with a small, however flourishing Chinese language-American neighborhood.
Chinese language immigrants started settling in Jacksonville in the course of the Eighties, initially discovering employment in laundries, eating places, and outlets. Many gravitated towards West Adams Road, significantly close to “The Line.” The opening of the close by railroad terminal additional elevated demand for laundry providers, prompting the institution of Chinese language-owned companies alongside the hall.
One of many earliest such enterprises was operated by Chaun Sue Sing on the intersection of West Adams and Bridge (now Broad) Streets in the course of the Nineties. By 1910, greater than half of Jacksonville’s Chinese language-owned laundries have been situated inside two blocks of West Adams. These family-run institutions usually doubled as properties for his or her house owners, who lived above their enterprise. By 1920, Chinese language entrepreneurs managed practically 80% of all industrial laundries within the metropolis, which boasted Florida’s largest Chinese language inhabitants on the time.
Notable neighborhood leaders similar to Wah Hop, Sam Sing, and Jim Lee performed important roles in constructing and supporting LaVilla’s Chinese language-American enclave. Nonetheless, the Nice Despair, the rise of recent laundry applied sciences, and restrictive immigration legal guidelines led to a decline on this vibrant neighborhood. By 1960, solely Jim Quan’s laundry on West Ashley Road, a couple of blocks north, remained in operation.
As the auto gained reputation, companies catering to the brand new mode of transportation, such because the Firestone Tire & Rubber Firm, began appearing alongside West Adams. The road’s financial vitality peaked throughout World Struggle II. In 1944 alone, the Jacksonville Terminal processed practically 40,000 trains and served near 10 million passengers, bringing an unprecedented degree of city exercise to the world.
However with the post-war decline of the railroad business, West Adams Road’s fortunes waned. By the Nineteen Seventies, LaVilla’s three main depots, the Jacksonville Terminal, the Railroad Categorical Company freight depot, and the Atlantic & East Coast Terminal, had all shuttered, accelerating the neighborhood’s financial downturn.
Within the Nineties, a lot of what remained of West Adams Road was demolished underneath the River Metropolis Renaissance initiative, a $235 million city renewal bond spearheaded by Mayor Ed Austin in 1993. Supposed to revitalize LaVilla and different economically distressed neighborhoods, this system razed giant swaths of the historic multicultural neighborhood.
But, in recent times, West Adams Road has skilled a revival. New infill growth initiatives alongside West Adams Road embody Johnson Commons, Elevate Ev’ry Voice and Sing Park, the Emerald Path and the Lofts of Monroe.
To visually acknowledge the rise, fall and rebirth of West Adams Road, here’s a earlier than and after have a look at this historic downtown thoroughfare.
1. The Pruitt Tire Firm
The Pruitt Tire Firm operated a service middle at 630 West Adams Road in the course of the mid-Twentieth century. | Florida Reminiscence
In 2008, the Pruitt Tire Firm constructing was renovated. That renovation included a brand new addition within the entrance of the unique constructing. Right this moment, 630 West Adams Road is occupied by Smith & Eulo, a legal protection regulation agency.
*The Burington Rooming Homes constructing at 801 West Adams Road awaiting demolition within the Nineties. Throughout the early Twentieth century, the intersection of West Adams and Madison streets was the epicenter of LaVilla’s Chinese language-American neighborhood. Nearly all of the neighborhood’s Chinese language-American companies and residences have been situated inside a two-to-three block radius of this intersection. For instance, Wah Hop, who immigrated to the US in 1890, lived and operated a industrial laundry enterprise at 713 West Adams Road. Hop additionally owned and operated a restaurant one block south on the intersection of Madison and Ward (now Houston) streets. As well as, Hop’s residence was dwelling to Chinese language-American boarders who have been employed within the companies. *
Right this moment, the intersection of Madison and West Adams streets is quiet. What was as soon as essentially the most densely populated part of West Adams was become floor parking on account of the River Metropolis Renaissance program three a long time in the past.
3. A walkable mixed-use district
A view of the 800 block of West Adams Road in the course of the Nineteen Seventies. For a number of years, Charlie Lee operated one in every of his two industrial laundry companies in LaVilla at 806 West Adams (constructing on the left). | Metropolis of Jacksonville.
*Right this moment, this brick wall is all that continues to be of the 800 block of West Adams Road’s period as an early Twentieth century neighborhood. *
4. The Northern Lodge
The Northern Lodge was situated at 819-827 West Adams Road. This block of West Adams was consultant of small accommodations, tenements and retail storefronts that when dominated this part of LaVilla. The stays of this early Twentieth century multicultural district was misplaced in the course of the demolition of the neighborhood within the mid-Nineties. | Metropolis of Jacksonville.
Because the Nineties, the previous Northern Lodge website has been utilized as a floor car parking zone.
5. The Lodge Flagler
Lodge Jefferson was situated on the northwest nook of West Adams and Davis streets. | College of North Florida
*Catering to close by railroad terminal passengers, the 125-room Lodge Flagler was situated on the northwest nook of West Adams and Davis streets. The Lodge Flagler was the primary resort owned by resort magnate Robert Kloeppel, Sr. Kloeppel was a penniless German immigrant who spoke little English when he arrived in America in 1905. Relocating to Jacksonville a yr later, he finally develop into an legal professional who opened a regulation workplace within the Flagler Lodge after working in an area sawmill, railyard, and shipyard as a mechanic. Recognized for its wonderful espresso store and cocktail lounge, a couple of years after buying the Flagler in 1920, Kloeppel renamed the property Lodge Jefferson. *
By 1995, the resort’s storage at 925 West Adams was all that remained of the Lodge Flagler/Jefferson property. Along with Lodge Flagler/Jefferson, Kloeppel owned the George Washington, Mayflower, Pennsyvania and Roosevelt Lodges in downtown Jacksonville. Excluding the Roosevelt, which lives on because the Carling, all of Kloeppel’s early Twentieth century downtown Jacksonville’s have been demolished. | Ritz Theatre & Museum
In 2018, the Vestcor Firms’ and TVC Growth accomplished building on the Lofts of Monroe. The $20-million, 5-story inexpensive housing challenge consists of 108 condominium items and a at present vacant floor ground retail house.
6. The B.F. Goodrich Firm
1001 West Adams Road in 1995. The constructing was initially developed for B.F. Goodrich Firm. Based by Dr. Benjamin Franklin Goodrich in 1870, the BF Goodrich Firm started as a producer of rubberized hoses, which have been bought largely as firehoses. The corporate grew to become a family title when Henry Ford chosen BF Goodrich tires to be fitted within the new Mannequin A Ford in 1903.
The previous BF Goodrich constructing on the northwest nook of West Adams and Lee streets was demolished as part of the Nineties River Metropolis Renaissance program. A stormwater retention pond was constructed as a replacement. Just lately, a portion of the Emerald Path’s LaVilla Hyperlink was constructed on the east aspect of the property.
7. Firestone Tire & Rubber Firm
LaVilla’s Firestone Service Shops, Inc. in the course of the early Nineties. The Firestone Tire and Rubber Firm was based by Harvey Firestone (1868-1938) in 1900 in Akron, Ohio. Firestone used his private relationship with Henry Ford to develop into the unique tools provider of Ford Motor Firm vehicles. In 1926, the corporate launched the primary one cease service station, which was characterised as the best service growth for the reason that car was first launched. As part of a $2,000,000 Florida service station constructing program, Firestone acquired this block, ensuing within the demolition of the childhood residence of James Weldon and John Rosamond Johnson. In August 1929, the corporate celebrated the opening of this huge Mediterranean Revival-style, three-story one cease service middle and warehouse.
After dominating LaVilla’s skyline for greater than six a long time with its giant, neon roof prime signal, the Firestone Tire & Rubber Firm constructing was demolished within the Nineties. On Thursday, June 27, 2024, lots of gathered for the $4.7 million Elevate Ev’ry Voice & Sing Park’s ribbon slicing ceremony.
8. The Common Movie Change
1075 West Adams Road was inbuilt 1925 for the Common Movie Change. A movie change was a enterprise in movie distribution that rented out motion pictures to theaters. They opened up all around the United States to deal with movie reels in the course of the silent movie period.
As part of the River Metropolis Renaissance Plan, 1075 West Adams Road was demolished and redeveloped right into a floor car parking zone and truck loading dock for Apex. Right this moment, this 3.62 acre mega block remains to be owned by the Metropolis of Jacksonville.
9. Lodge Williams
The Williams Lodge at 1074-1086 West Adams Road in July 1995. Inbuilt 1913, the two-story constructing was additionally known as the Dixie Home and Little Ritz Lodge between World Struggle I and the Nice Despair previous to being rebranded because the Magnolia Lodge. Providing furnished rooms for Black vacationers throughout a time after they weren’t allowed in white downtown accommodations, the Magnolia Lodge’s possession additionally operated The Pink Tea Room within the constructing. A number of companies starting from Chinese language laundries and pool rooms to eating places and sweetness salons occupied the constructing’s floor degree storefronts.
The Lodge Williams constructing was demolished in 1996. The previous resort website is now part of the Johnson Commons townhouse growth. Johnson Commons is a two part 3.4-acre infill mixed-use growth at present underneath building. The primary part of the challenge entails the development of 91 three-story on the market townhomes with one automobile garages that architecturally pay homage to the historic two and three-story residences that when dominated the LaVilla panorama. A second part fronting Lee and Forsyth Streets, might embody a minimal of 10,000 sq. toes of stand-alone retail or a mixed-use product of multi-family residential and retail that features a minimal of 10,000 sq. toes of retail on the primary ground.
10. Apex Coloration
Apex Coloration, a wholesale printing firm that was based by Richard Ghelerter in 1974, was situated at 1111 West Adams Road within the Nineties. | Ritz Theatre & Museum
Following the River Metropolis Renaissance’s razing of the neighborhood, Apex partnered with the Metropolis of Jacksonville to assemble a brand new 29,965-square-foot manufacturing plant on the property in 1998. Right this moment, a big portion of this property is owned by the Metropolis of Jacksonville.
Editorial by Ennis Davis, AICP. Contact Ennis at edavis@moderncities.com