LaVilla Images

Stop 1 Lift Every Voice And Sing Park

JWJ Mother

JWJ Father

JWJ as student at Stanton

Johnson Brothers

LEVS Park Before

LEVS Park Dedication

Johnson home site complex

Johnson home and Abdullah-Bey complex

Stop 2 Union Terminal

Flagler’s Terminal

Flagler’s Original Complex

Union Terminal

Union Terminal Complex

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Union Terminal Subway System

Amtrak Abandons, LaVilla still intact

Pullman Porters and the birth of the black middle class

A Phillip Randolph

Stop 3 Railroad Row

Duval Ford

The Duval Motor Co. opened on the northwest corner of Lee and West Forsyth streets in 1916. It was one of the city’s earliest automobile dealerships, and the Model T was the original hot car in stock. Buyers could select a vehicle in any color as long as the car color was black. In operation prior to modern automobile assembly plants, dealers like Duval Motor purchased components of cars from Ford that were shipped from Detroit to Jacksonville and put together on site. Now Duval Ford, the dealership moved to 1616 Cassat Ave. in 1968.

ACL

The Atlantic and East Coast Terminal Co. (A&ECT;) was formed in 1910 by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad and Florida East Coast Railway. The terminal and supporting railyard consumed eight continuous blocks between West Bay and Forsyth Streets, just west of Jefferson Street. At the time, the leading industries in Jacksonville were shipbuilding, lumber and cigar manufacturing. Partially destroyed by fire, the A&ECT; terminal was demolished in 1979.

The Southeast Wheel & Rim Co. was located at 927 W. Forsyth St. in buildings that still stand today. During the early days of the automobile, West Forsyth Street in the vicinity of Lee Street was home to several auto-related businesses. Others included the Duval Motor Co., Firestone Tire & Rubber, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., Quinn R. Barton Trucks, Harley-Davidson and Lee & Cates Glass. Founded in 1926 and now one of the largest independent auto and plate glass companies in the southeast, Lee & Cates Glass still operates in the district.

The Greek and Syrian Club, and later Acropolis Club. Demolished for a future gas station.

Jacksonville’s early Greek settlers arrived from Southern Greece and Turkey as sailors from ships that docked along the riverfront.

By 1910, this section of Downtown had become known as Railroad Row. Here Greek proprietors employed relatives and others arriving to town from their homeland. A total of 32% of the local Greek workforce was employed as fruit dealers, including John Moussoulas who operated a fruit store across the street from the train station. Others, including brother Thomas Moussoulas, operated the city’s 10 Greek-owned restaurants, six of which were located in Railroad Row.