Jacksonville's Sugar Hill

February 7, 2023 | Ennis Davis, AICP

Largely razed as a result of mid-20th century discriminatory practices, Sugar Hill was segregation era Black Jacksonville's version of middle class inner city living. In honor of Black History Month,...

The Photography of Max Moody Jr.

September 21, 2022 | Andrew R. Nicholas

Max Moody Jr. (1913 – 1987), CEO of heavy equipment company M.D. Moody & Sons, was a prominent Jacksonville businessman of the 20th century. As shown by his photos, shared...

Historic LaVilla in color

June 2, 2022 | Article by Ennis Davis, AICP

Designated in 1979 by President Jimmy Carter, June is recognized as African American Music Appreciation Month. To celebrate the African American musical influences and events that are locally tied to...

Jaxlore: 9 Jacksonville legends

October 27, 2021 | Bill Delaney

Jaxlore is a column by Bill Delaney on the folklore, urban legends and local traditions of Jacksonville and the First Coast. In honor of spooky season, today's column brings together...

Florida LGBTQ history: Timucua two-spirits

June 16, 2021 | Bill Delaney

Florida's LGBTQ history begins thousands of years before Europeans arrived. Before colonization, most Native American societies in North America had gender roles for people of a mixed or third gender...

Walkable Jacksonville: Myrtle Avenue

December 21, 2020 | Ennis Davis, AICP

Jacksonville's urban core is home to a number of historic walkable neighborhood commercial districts. Many are a direct result of the city's former electric streetcar network that operated between 1880...

A history of The Florida Times-Union

December 4, 2020 | Andrew R. Nicholas

Across several incarnations and ownership changes, The Florida Times-Union and its predecessors have served Jacksonville and Northeast Florida since 1864. Guest writer Andrew Nicholas provides this history of Jacksonville’s newspaper...

A tour of historic Evergreen Cemetery

October 27, 2020 | Bill Delaney

Evergreen Cemetery is the oldest cemetery in Jacksonville that's still in operation, and one of the city's great historic spaces. Join The Jaxson for a look at the cemetery's history...

Harriet Tubman's Jacksonville story

October 21, 2020 | Ennis Davis, AICP

Born Araminta Ross and known as “the Moses of her people,” Harriet Tubman escaped enslavement and rescued hundreds through a network of safe houses and antislavery activists known as the...

Six free black towns in Florida

April 14, 2020 | Ennis Davis, AICP

Wherever slavery has existed, the enslaved have endeavored to escape to freedom. Under Spanish rule, Florida was a destination for freedom seekers escaping plantations in Georgia, the Carolinas and Alabama...

Hidden Florida: Ginger Ale Spring

April 7, 2020 | Bill Delaney

Bubbling up just off a busy Altamonte Springs road is one of Central Florida's most unique but least known natural treasures. Named for the soft drink made from its waters...

The history of Murray Hill

March 4, 2020 | Ennis Davis, AICP

Modern Cities highlights the history of Murray Hill. The presentation by Ennis Davis, AICP took place on March 3, 2020 in coordination with the Murray Hill Preservation Association and American...

Before & After: Jacksonville

February 27, 2020 | Ennis Davis, AICP

In 1950, Jacksonville was a stagnant 30 square mile city with 204,000 residents. Today, the city is the most populous in Florida and the 12th-largest in the United States with...

Before & After: Miami-Dade County

February 21, 2020 | Ennis Davis, AICP

In 1950, the Greater Miami area was home to less than 700,000 residents. Today, the metropolitan areas is the most populous in Florida and the seventh-largest in the United States...

Jacksonville's early black architects

February 17, 2020 | Ennis Davis, AICP

Modern Cities highlights the forgotten story of early Jacksonville's black architects. The presentation by Ennis Davis, AICP took place on February 15, 2020 at the Durkeeville Historical Society.

Exploring Historic Kingsley Plantation

June 4, 2019 | Ennis Davis, AICP

Maintained by the National Park Service, Kingsley Plantation is the home of Florida's oldest surviving plantation house and related to one of the Antebellum South's most surprising historical civil rights...

America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places

July 24, 2018 | Ennis Davis

The National Trust for Historic Preservation recently unveiled its 31st Annual List of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places. Schools in East Los Angeles, Denver’s Larimer Square, Historic Resources in...

Florida Trust Announces 2018 11 to Save List

June 1, 2018 | Ennis Davis

The Florida Trust for Historic Preservation recently announced the 2018 Florida’s 11 to Save, a list of the most threatened historic properties in the state. This year’s list represents endangered...

Redlining our core neighborhoods to ruin

April 11, 2018 | Ennis Davis

If you believe sprawl just magically happened, here's something that visually suggests otherwise. Thanks to researchers at the University of Richmond, Mapping Inequality offers unprecedented online access to the national...

Changing Jacksonville: Then and Now

January 25, 2018 | Ennis Davis

An interesting comparison of 1943 and current aerials illustrating the impact of expressways penetrating through various Jacksonville neighborhoods and districts.

8 defunct grocery chains you remember

December 10, 2017 | Ennis Davis

Before chains like Walmart, Publix, Winn-Dixie and Whole Foods dominated the grocery business, these names once anchored shopping centers and street corners throughout our cities.

87 years of Publix

November 27, 2017 | Ennis Davis

A look at the architectural evolution of one of the largest grocery chains in the United States.

What Is Blight?

October 10, 2017 | Mike Field

What makes one building worth saving and another worth destroying? Strong Towns' Rachel Quednau explores the line between destruction and preservation.

The Barnett gearing up to come back to life

September 21, 2017 | Ennis Davis

On Thursday, September 21st, Jacksonville's Downtown Development Review Board (DDRB) granted conceptual and final design approval for the long awaited mixed-use project known as The Barnett. Here's a brief look...

The Ghosts of Green Cove Springs

March 7, 2017 | Ennis Davis

What do treasure hunting trips, hovercrafts, ferries, space exploration, and vintage rail cars have to do with one another? All are forgotten relics that combine to make up the afterlife...

Lost history: Saving what's left of Sugar Hill

February 7, 2017 | Ennis Davis

In honor of Black History Month, here's rare images and the story of Jacksonville's Sugar Hill neighborhood. Prior to largely being destroyed by desegregation, highway construction, medical center expansion, and...

Changing Tampa: Then and Now

October 2, 2016 | Ennis Davis

An interesting comparison of 1938 and 2016 aerials illustrating the impact of time and the construction of expressways through various sections of Tampa.

Changing Miami: Then and Now

September 26, 2016 | Ennis Davis

An interesting comparison of 1952 and 2016 aerials illustrating the impact of expressways penetrating through various Miami neighborhoods and districts.

Changing Orlando: Then and Now

September 21, 2016 | Ennis Davis

An interesting comparison of 1947 and 2016 aerials illustrating the impact of expressways penetrating through various Orlando neighborhoods and districts.

Infographic: The History of Black Friday

September 8, 2016 | Ennis Davis

Have you ever wondered where the day of insane deals, long lines, and 4am door busters began? BlackFriday.fm, a shopping resource has put together an infographic displaying the history of...

A Trip Inside Atlanta's Ponce City Market

July 19, 2016 | Ennis Davis

Ponce City Market is a mixed-use development located a few miles east of downtown Atlanta along the BeltLine. Covering over 1 million square feet, it suggests that no underutilized building...

Orlando: Then and Now

March 10, 2016 | Ennis Davis

Orlando wants to have a 'big city' downtown and it's well on its way. Over the last decade, the skyline has doubled in size and the number of downtown residents...

Columbia: Then & Now

March 10, 2016 | Ennis Davis

Known as The Capital of Southern Hospitality, Columbia is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. Approved as the new state capital on March 22, 1786, the...

History Coming To Life In Cincinnati

March 9, 2016 | Mike Field

Look Here! is a compelling history exhibition transforming the public realm into a temporary museum using historic photographs of Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine neighborhood.

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