Inside LaVilla's long-forgotten red light district

Centered around Ward Street in LaVilla, Jacksonville's notorious early 20th century red light district was a dense and complicated landscape that most Jaxsons know very little about. Home to more than 60 bordellos and popular madams Cora Crane, Belle Orloff and Lyda De Camp, here are five forgotten facts associated with the district.

A launching pad for early African American musicians and entertainers

Pat Henry Chappelle, the founder of the Rabbit’s Foot Company, operated at least two saloons and a concert hall in the red light district during the 1890s. | University of North Florida

Despite its reputation, the red-light district also served as one of Jacksonville’s earliest entertainment hubs. Patrick Chappelle, who would later dominate the southeastern vaudeville circuit, got his start here. In 1894, Chappelle opened the Rabbit Foot Saloon at 713 West Bay Street, offering liquor alongside billiards and pool. By 1898, he and his brothers founded the Excelsior Concert Hall at the intersection of Ward and Bridge (now Broad) Street. Excelsior was one of the first Black-owned theatrical venues in the South. Chappelle would go on to establish the Rabbit’s Foot Minstrel Company in 1900, earning him the nickname “the Black P.T. Barnum” and launching the careers of Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith, Ida Cox, and Louis Jordan.

Other venues were successful as well. Thomas Baxter’s Exchange Saloon & Theatre, which took over the Excelsior after a landlord dispute, employed 32 people and included a theater, café, saloon, and back rooms for inmates catering to the Ward Street crowd. Police Chief Vinzant publicly acknowledged the operation in 1900, stating that such establishments were necessary and as orderly as could be expected in that district. Nearby, Walter O’Toole’s Little Savoy Theatre opened in 1904 at 610 West Forsyth Street, becoming known for dramatic sketches and performances of compositions by Bob Cole and J. Rosamond Johnson.

Robbery was a common occurrence

801 West Forsyth Street was a saloon owned and operated by bordello operator George Stevens. It is one of the last surviving buildings from the red-light district’s early 20th century heyday. | Ennis Davis, AICP

For many visitors, particularly out-of-town men from prominent families, the red-light district promised discretion and indulgence. Instead, it often delivered financial ruin and public shame. Robberies were common, frequently involving intoxicated patrons targeted by women working in the district. In 1896, sailors Charles and Augustus Johnson were robbed of $20, leading to the arrest of disorderly house inmates Joseph Day and Josephine Jones. Unable to pay their fines, both were jailed. In 1905, R.H. Holmes of Live Oak, Florida, reported losing $76 at Hog Eye Missie’s establishment. That same year, Mack Williams of Ocilla, Georgia, claimed he was robbed while sleeping at Gertle Williams’ house in the Tenderloin. Newspaper accounts of the era showed little sympathy for such victims, often portraying them as reckless participants in their own downfall. Many robberies went unreported, as victims preferred to absorb the loss rather than risk public embarrassment.

An early 20th century advertisement for 801 West Forsyth Street by George Stevens. | Jerry Urso

Editorial by Ennis Davis, AICP with additional research provided by Adrienne Burke, AICP, Esq. Contact Ennis at edavis@moderncities.com