April 8, 2025 | Ennis Davis, AICP
During the late 19th century, Jacksonville experienced a major industrial boom. Factories, mills, and shipyards were established along the St. Johns River and near key railroad lines. By 1960, the...
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March 31, 2025 | Ennis Davis, AICP
For much of the 20th century, the West Jacksonville Yard and its locomotive maintenance and repair shops served as a key economic anchor on Jacksonville’s Westside. Here’s a look back...
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March 24, 2025 | Ennis Davis, AICP
For nearly fifty years, Walker’s Commercial & Vocational College was a major Jacksonville educational institution. In honor of Women’s History Month, here’s the story behind the school and its founder...
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March 16, 2025 | Article by Bill Delaney
Forgotten for centuries, the ancient city of St. Augustine hosted what was evidently the world's first recorded parade celebrating St. Patrick's Day during the Spanish colonial period in 1600 and...
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February 24, 2025 | Ennis Davis, AICP
Established in 1901 and operating until 1990, the Afro-American Life Insurance Company may be the most well known Black-owned business in Jacksonville's history. However, it wasn't the only large one....
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February 17, 2025 | Ennis Davis, AICP
The Great Migration was the movement of roughly six million Black people from the South to the North, Midwest, and West between 1916 and 1970, making it one of the...
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January 30, 2025 | Bill Delaney
Jacksonville, the birthplace of Southern rock, is also the final resting place of many who defined the genre. Photographer Chris Soldt takes a tour of Jacksonville's Southern rock graves.
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January 28, 2025 | Ennis Davis, AICP
Here’s a visual journey into the history of seven various sites photographed as a part of a 1970s City of Jacksonville planning study.
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December 19, 2024 | Andrew Nicholas
Guest writer Andrew R. Nicholas dives into the history of a World War I era shipyard site now occupied by Bishop Kenny High School.
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December 6, 2024 | Ennis Davis, AICP
A collection on historic scenes from Downtown Jacksonville's past in color.
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November 28, 2024 | Article by Bill Delaney
Five decades before the Pilgrims celebrated their feast at Plymouth, Massachusetts, French and Spanish colonists held celebrations of Thanksgiving on Florida’s First Coast. Here are the stories of some of...
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November 21, 2024 | Ennis Davis, AICP
This video from www.travelfilmarchive.com captures scenes of downtown Jacksonville and the rest of the state in 1950. It is a much watch for anyone who desires to see what our...
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November 18, 2024 | Editorial by Ennis Davis, AICP
American musical icon Ray Charles launched his career as a pianist, singer, composer, and bandleader in Jacksonville. Ray Charles Robinson was born in Albany, Georgia on September 23, 1930. His...
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November 14, 2024 | Ennis Davis, AICP
A collection on historic scenes from Downtown Jacksonville's past in color.
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October 31, 2024 | Article by Bill Delaney
Jaxlore is a column by Bill Delaney on the folklore, urban legends and local traditions of Jacksonville and the First Coast. Jacksonville’s historic spaces offer no shortage of secrets and...
Read moreOctober 25, 2024 | Ennis Davis, AICP
Do you really know your next door neighbor? Over the last century, Jacksonville has been the home of several interesting characters and residents who operated on the other side of...
October 7, 2024 | Editorial by Ennis Davis, AICP
The Jaxson takes a look at the rise, repositioning and survival of Deerwood Village Mall, one of the Southside's oldest shopping malls.
September 16, 2024 | Editorial by Ennis Davis, AICP
In 1900, Florida was the 32nd largest state in the country with a population of 528,542. At the time, Florida was the South's smallest state by population. However, the seeds...
September 2, 2024 | Ennis Davis, AICP
Moncrief’s Two Spot was said to be the finest dance palace in the country owned by an African American during its heyday. Here is a rare look inside Florida’s largest...
August 19, 2024 | Ennis Davis, AICP
Considered to be the brains behind John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil Co., Henry Morrison Flagler is recognized as one of the most influential individuals in the development of Florida. Following...
July 17, 2024 | Florida Trust for Historic Preservation
The Florida Trust for Historic Preservation recently announced this year’s 11 to Save, most endangered historic places in Florida. The annual list provides a voice for communities around the state,...
June 25, 2024 | Ennis Davis, AICP
It can be argued that Jacksonville is a city that has lost much of its historical identity over the years. Here are six downtown buildings that should have never been...
June 10, 2024 | Article by Bill Delaney
From Timucua two-spirits to bisexual blues musicians to the continued celebration of River City Pride, Jacksonville has a long and storied LGBTQ history. In honor of Pride Month, The Jaxson...
June 7, 2024 | Ennis Davis, AICP
A look at Jacksonville Beach during the 1970s.
March 29, 2024 | Ennis Davis, AICP
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.
March 25, 2024 | Editorial by Ennis Davis, AICP
Born in Jacksonville in 1876, Eartha Mary Magdalene White followed her formerly enslaved mother’s example by dedicating her life to improving living conditions for the city’s poor. Today, White is...
March 18, 2024 | Editorial by Ennis Davis, AICP
In honor of Women's History Month, here’s a look at the life and works of Marvel Funderburk Rathel. While not as well known as many names in the architectural world,...
March 11, 2024 | Editorial by Ennis Davis, AICP
Now known as Houston Street in the LaVilla neighborhood, Ward Street was once the epicenter of one of the South's largest bustling red light districts. Originating in the late 1880s,...
February 22, 2024 | Guest editorial by Michael Geraghty
This guest editorial Michael Geraghty, grandnephew of legendary Jacksonville baseball manager Ben Geraghty, honors his great uncle's relationship with the 'home run king' Hank Aaron and their historic roles in...
February 13, 2024 | Bill Delaney
On February 12, 1900, James Weldon Johnson's song 'Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing' was sung for the first time by a choir of Jacksonville children for a celebration of Abraham...
February 12, 2024 | Ennis Davis, AICP
In honor of Black History Month, here are six historic African American cultural heritage destinations in Jacksonville to visit.
February 9, 2024 | Article by Andrew R. Nicholas
Local writer Andrew Nicholas shares a look at pictures taken of St. Augustine by Union photographer Samuel Abbot Cooley during the Civil War.
February 5, 2024 | Ennis Davis, AICP
The Hill is a historic African American neighborhood in Jacksonville Beach that dates back to the late 19th century.
February 1, 2024 | Ennis Davis, AICP
Named in honor of General Duncan Lamont Clinch after his death in 1849, Fort Clinch is a coastal fortification built by the United States on Amelia Island, at the entrance...
January 25, 2024 | Ennis Davis, AICP
Bullet of Abandoned Florida provides us with a rare look inside one of Florida's first automobile dealerships: The Claude Nolan Cadillac Building
December 18, 2023 | Ennis Davis, AICP
Cultural heritage trails take users on journeys between sites, attractions or businesses by providing information and storytelling on their unique neighborhood or environment. In many communities, heritage trails are intended...
December 15, 2023 | Ennis Davis, AICP
What does urban renewal look like? What did LaVilla, Jacksonville's oldest suburb, dating back to 1866 look like? Ask no more. We recently received access to pre-demolition photographs of properties...
December 5, 2023 | Ennis Davis, AICP
Scenes from the streets of Downtown Jacksonville from the Jacksonville Public Library Florida Collection. The photographs were taken by Norman N. Griffith in 1971.
December 4, 2023 | Editorial by Ennis Davis, AICP
Nearly every city of significant size in the south, claim's their version of Jacksonville's LaVilla is the 'Harlem of the South'? Here is a look at six different 'Harlems of...
November 27, 2023 | Guest editorial by Leo Esclamado
As Hip Hop celebrates 50 years, the First Coast is where James Brown and crew crafted Hip Hop’s iconic funky rhythms. Read about how James Brown got his groove in...
October 31, 2023 | Article by 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...
October 13, 2023 | Ennis Davis, AICP
A rare view inside an architectural masterpiece designed by Richard Lewis Brown, Jacksonville's earliest known African American architect: Mount Olive A.M.E. Church
September 10, 2023 | Ennis Davis
Eighteen rare historic photographs capturing the essence of Downtown Jacksonville's LaVilla community prior to desegregation and urban renewal.
August 2, 2023 | Article by Ennis Davis, AICP
1920s photographs of Jacksonville's San Jose Estates development. Now known as the neighborhood of San Jose, San Jose Estates was a large scale planned development that never came to fruition...
July 28, 2023 | Article by Bill Delaney
In 1974, the Betz family of Jacksonville found a metal orb in the woods of Fort George Island. Over the years, the enigmatic “Betz sphere” has generated speculation about what...
July 4, 2023 | Ennis Davis, AICP
It can be argued that Jacksonville is a city that has lost much of its historical identity over the years. Here are six downtown buildings that should have never been...
June 19, 2023 | Ennis Davis, AICP
While most states recognize Juneteenth as either a state holiday, ceremonial holiday, or day of observance, many things we take for granted today such as the coffeehouse, tea rooms and...
June 5, 2023 | Ennis Davis, AICP
Although National Donut Day has passed, here's a local story linking one of Jacksonville's oldest continuously operated restaurants to the sugary treat.
March 27, 2023 | Editorial by Bill Delaney and Ennis Davis, AICP
In honor of Women's History Month, here are a few sites and stories associated with women who transformed our community and nation.
March 17, 2023 | Article by Bill Delaney
Forgotten for centuries, the ancient city of St. Augustine hosted what was evidently the world's first recorded parade celebrating St. Patrick's Day during the Spanish colonial period in 1600 and...
March 8, 2023 | Article by Andrew R. Nicholas
Before the Morocco Shrine Auditorium was demolished on February 1, 2023, it provided Jacksonville with a venue for events, conventions and concerts. Local historian Andrew R. Nicholas tells the story...
February 20, 2023 | Ennis Davis, AICP
Regarded as the 'dean of Black architecture', John Anderson Lankford was a nationally known early 20th century Architect with significant ties to Jacksonville. Virtually unknown to modern day Jaxsons, Lankford...
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,...
January 16, 2023 | Ennis Davis, AICP
In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, here are five places King spent time in during his visits to Jacksonville.
December 29, 2022 | Ennis Davis, AICP
A look at the official Museum of the Seminole Tribe of Florida. The Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum at Big Cypress Reservation.
December 20, 2022 | Editorial by Bill Delaney
Jacksonville City Hall provides no shortage of things to criticize, but there are some common complaints that don’t stand up to scrutiny. From arguements that the City Council is too...
December 8, 2022 | The Florida Trust for Historic Preservation
Florida Trust Shares First 11 to Save Grant Fund Awards to Protect and Share Unique Florida History. Florida Trust joins millions around the world participating in the global generosity movement...
December 6, 2022 | Guest Editorial by Alan J. Bliss, Ph.D.
A guest editorial by Alan J. Bliss, Ph.D., the Chief Executive Officer of the Jacksonville Historical Society highlighting the importance of historic preservation.
November 25, 2022 | Article by Andrew R. Nicholas
From 1564-1565, the banks of the St. Johns River in Jacksonville was home to the French settlement of Fort Caroline. Andrew R. Nicholas tells the story of the fort, the...
November 21, 2022 | Ennis Davis, AICP
A look at LaVilla's historic Railroad Row district in color.
November 11, 2022 | Article by Bill Delaney
During World War II, thousands of American women served in the U.S. Navy's Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service program. In honor of Veterans Day, The Jaxson shares a collection...
October 31, 2022 | Article by 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 edition looks at...
October 24, 2022 | Article by Bill Delaney
Jaxlore is a column by Bill Delaney on the folklore, urban legends and local traditions of Jacksonville and the First Coast. Jacksonville’s historic spaces offer no shortage of secrets and...
October 3, 2022 | Editorial by Ennis Davis, AICP
Located just east of Springfield and Downtown, the Historic Eastside neighborhood is one of the most intact nineteenth-century African American neighborhoods in Jacksonville, and it still upholds its history as...
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...
August 16, 2022 | Kady Yellow
Inspired by the Jaxson Magazine, Kady Yellow, Senior Director of Placemaking at Downtown Vision, identifies the ghost sign that haunts Downtown Jacksonville from outside her living room window.
June 28, 2022 | Article by Ennis Davis, AICP
Located at 410 Broad Street, the Masonic Temple (also known as Masonic Temple, Most Worshipful Union Grand Lodge PHA) was constructed by the Grand Lodge between 1912 and 1916. It...
June 8, 2022 | Ennis Davis, AICP
While urban renewal was primarily a mid-20th century phenomenon that decimated the cores of America's cities, here's a few disastrous failures that have occurred over the last 30 years.
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...
June 1, 2022 | Ennis Davis, AICP
A look at Jacksonville Beach during the 1970s.
May 16, 2022 | Article by Ennis Davis, AICP
Since 1990, May has been recognized as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, celebrating the achievements, history, culture and contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United...
April 25, 2022 | Ennis Davis and Bill Delaney
Starting with the arrival of the first immigrants in the 1890s, Arab Americans have had a major impact on the growth of Jacksonville in business, politics, medicine and the culinary...
March 22, 2022 | Ennis Davis, AICP
In honor of Women's History Month, here are five sites associated with women who transformed our community and nation.
March 4, 2022 | Adrienne Burke, AICP, Esq. and Ennis Davis, AICP
In honor of Women's History Month, let’s reflect upon the lives of unsung African-American women who helped build Jacksonville.
March 1, 2022 | Ennis Davis, AICP
Seven historic buildings in Jacksonville are poised to receive African American Cultural and Historical grant funding for their restoration.
February 23, 2022 | Ennis Davis
In honor of Black History Month, here's a look at rare images and the story of Jacksonville's Sugar Hill neighborhood. Prior to largely being destroyed by desegregation, highway construction, medical...
February 15, 2022 | Article by Ennis Davis, AICP
In honor of Black History Month, here a six historic Gullah Geechee communities in Jacksonville.
February 3, 2022 | By Jada Wright-Greene
In honor of Black History Month, here are ten historic African-American sites in Jacksonville to visit, recommended by Jada Wright-Greene of HeritageSalon.org.
January 28, 2022 | Bill Delaney
Jacksonville, the birthplace of Southern rock, is also the final resting place of many who defined the genre. Photographer Chris Soldt takes a tour of Jacksonville's Southern rock graves.
January 26, 2022 | Article by Ennis Davis, AICP
A look inside a historic brick commercial storefront building that surrounds an older frame residential dwelling.
January 19, 2022 | Ennis Davis, AICP
A rare look inside one of Florida's most overlooked historically significant buildings: Historic Stanton
January 17, 2022 | Adrienne Burke, AICP, Esq.
A brief editorial highlighting the importance of a historic site related to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Downtown Jacksonville.
January 3, 2022 | Article by Ennis Davis, AICP
A look at an innovative and affordable solution to highlighting the forgotten history of an urban neighborhood.
December 28, 2021 | Article by Ennis Davis, AICP
Built by 56 enslaved laborers in 1856, the Historic Haile Homestead is uniquely known for its 'Talking Walls.'
December 21, 2021 | Ennis Davis, AICP
Largely razed in the name of 1990s urban redevelopment, LaVilla was one of Jacksonville's most walkable neighborhoods with a fascinating history.
December 15, 2021 | 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.
December 10, 2021 | Article by Ennis Davis, AICP
On December 10, 2021, the Jessie Ball duPont Fund and Ennis Davis of The Jaxson present Jacksonville History & Heritage Series: Jacksonville's Military History
November 16, 2021 | Article by Ennis Davis, AICP
The Jaxson visits a historic African American settlement community site that has been surrounded by modern development.
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...
October 22, 2021 | Article by Ennis Davis, AICP
The Jaxson explores the remains of one of Jacksonville's forgotten ghost towns: Greenland
September 29, 2021 | Sarah Dumitrascu, Bill Delaney and Ennis Davis, AICP
In honor of National Silent Film Day, The Jaxson shares a brief presentation highlighting the history of the silent film era in Jacksonville.
September 21, 2021 | Article by Ennis Davis, AICP
Dating back to 1804, Père Lachaise Cemetery is the largest cemetery in Paris, France and the most visited cemetery in the world with more than 3.5 million visitors annually.
September 9, 2021 | Article by Ennis Davis, AICP
A rare look at various historic scenes of Jacksonville's Arlington neighborhood in color.
August 18, 2021 | Article by Andrew R. Nicholas
From 1564-1565, the banks of the St. Johns River in Jacksonville was home to the French settlement of Fort Caroline. Andrew R. Nicholas tells the story of the fort, the...
August 12, 2021 | Article by Bill Delaney
In summer 1888, an invisible killer stalked the streets of Jacksonville. “Yellow Jack” took hundreds of lives, forced the city into lockdown, and toppled a progressive, biracial city government. The...
August 11, 2021 | Ennis Davis, AICP
It's a location where the majority of rail traffic moves through the state of Florida. During the early 20th century this area west of Downtown Jacksonville developed as a logistics,...
August 3, 2021 | Article by Ennis Davis, AICP
Vintage photos of a downtown Jacksonville neighborhood destroyed by urban renewal: Hansontown
July 27, 2021 | Article by Ennis Davis, AICP
The Florida Trust for Historic Preservation has announced the 2021 edition of Florida’s 11 to Save List. The list spotlights the most threatened historic properties in the state, and drives...
July 26, 2021 | Article by Sarah Dumitrascu
Jacksonville is home to the biggest Filipino population in Florida, with more than 25,000 residents of Filipino descent in the 2010 Census. Join The Jaxson for a brief history of...
July 23, 2021 | Article by Ennis Davis, AICP
First published in 1936, the 'Negro Motorist Green Book' was a compilation of restaurants, over-night accommodations, gas stations and other public services for people of color traversing a “White-only” landscape...
June 30, 2021 | Bill Delaney
From Timucua two-spirits in the 16th century to bisexual blues musicians to the continued celebration of River City Pride, Jacksonville has a long and storied LGBTQ history. In honor of...
June 23, 2021 | Article by Sarah Dumitrascu
Today, Marineland celebrates its 83rd anniversary. Look back on the history of the world's first oceanarium and the impact it has had Florida and on the relationship between humans and...
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...
May 28, 2021 | Guest article by Marisella Veiga
In this guest article, writer Marisella Veiga discusses the legacy of Cuban-American priest and author Félix Varela and her campaign to have his name spelled correctly on signs in his...
April 23, 2021 | Article by Ennis Davis, AICP
The rise and fall of a 19th century farming and fishing village that was once home to an Episcopal mission for the former enslaved: Fulton
March 8, 2021 | Article by Bill Delaney
During World War II, thousands of American women served in the U.S. Navy's Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service program. In celebration of Women's History Month, The Jaxson presents a...
January 26, 2021 | Ennis Davis, AICP
The Jaxson shares a sneak peak at a new baseball museum at Jacksonville's James P. Small Memorial Park. A historic baseball stadium in the Durkee Gardens National Register Historic District,...
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...
December 18, 2020 | Bill Delaney
Major League Baseball's decision to recognize seven historic Negro Leagues as major leagues will shake up the sports history of many cities. Jacksonville, home to the Red Caps of the...
December 11, 2020 | Ennis Davis, AICP
A new cultural heritage placemaking project helps highlight the rich history of Atlanta's Sweet Auburn.
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...
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...
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...
October 14, 2020 | BY MESSYNESSY
Parisian blog The Messy Nessy Chic shares its perspective on America's lost towns of Black affluence.
October 13, 2020 | Ennis Davis, AICP
Bullet of Abandoned Florida provides us with a rare look inside an early 20th century cigar factory: West Tampa's Balbin Brothers Cigar Factory.
October 6, 2020 | Bill Delaney
In 1953, Afro-Puerto Rican infielder and future major leaguer Felix Mantilla made Southern baseball history as part of the Jacksonville Braves' first racially integrated team, playing alongside Hank Aaron. For...
September 15, 2020 | Ennis Davis, AICP
In honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month, The Jaxson and Modern Cities highlight a bit of forgotten early 20th century Cuban cigar manufacturing history in Jacksonville.
September 8, 2020 | Ennis Davis, AICP
Can you guess what were Florida's top ten largest cities in 1920? Take a look, the list may surprise you.
August 28, 2020 | Jacksonville Planning and Development Department Historic Preservation Office
In honor of the contributions and sacrifices that the Pearson family has made in the effort to make Jacksonville a more inclusive and equitable environment for all, the Jacksonville Historic...
August 27, 2020 | Bill Delaney
On August 27, 1960, a Life Magazine photographer captured Charlie Griffin in the aftermath of the racist attack now known as Ax Handle Saturday. Published at a time when the...
July 30, 2020 | Ennis Davis, AICP
Jacksonville and much of Florida owes a lot of gratitude to this railroad tycoon, whose 19th century infrastructure investments have paved the way for a 21st century Florida.
July 29, 2020 | Ennis Davis, AICP
The Florida Trust for Historic Preservation has announced the 2020 edition of Florida’s 11 to Save List. The list spotlights the most threatened historic properties in the state, and drives...
July 15, 2020 | Ennis Davis, AICP
Ever wonder why our cities look the way they do? This brief educational comedy video by Adam Ruins Everything highlights racial discriminatory housing policies from the Jim Crow era still...
July 9, 2020 | Ennis Davis, AICP
A look at six sites in Jacksonville connected to the women's suffrage movement that are worthy of more exploration, preservation and inclusive storytelling.
July 3, 2020 | Ennis Davis, AICP
A look at eight Chitlin Circuit venues standing throughout the state of Florida.
June 2, 2020 | Editorial by Ennis Davis, AICP
The protests and riots taking place across the country following the murder of George Floyd are nothing new. Neither is the simple request by people of color to be treated...
May 28, 2020 | Abandoned Florida
Abandoned Florida takes a look inside of Downtown Miami's former Burdines flagship department store.
May 25, 2020 | Ennis Davis, AICP
In honor of National Hamburger Month, Modern Cities and the Jaxson take a look back at a long lost Mid-Century Jacksonville institution: Milligan's Beefy Burgers
April 21, 2020 | Bill Delaney
Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of the abolitionist novel Uncle Tom's Cabin, spent her winters in what is now Jacksonville from 1867 to 1884. From her cottage in the town of...
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...
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...
March 31, 2020 | Ennis Davis, AICP
For the last day of Women's History Month, we pay homage to the contributions of 14 exceptional women in history with Jacksonville ties.
March 30, 2020 | Bill Delaney
In summer 1888, an invisible killer stalked the streets of Jacksonville. “Yellow Jack” took hundreds of lives, forced the city into lockdown, and toppled a progressive, biracial city government. The...
March 27, 2020 | Ennis Davis, AICP
Underneath a forgotten Northside shopping mall lies the remains of a 19th century cemetery associated with the yellow fever epidemic of 1888.
March 23, 2020 | Ennis Davis, AICP
A look at the overlooked architectural works of Joseph Haygood Blodgett. One of Jacksonville's early architects and Florida's first black millionaires.
March 9, 2020 | Ennis Davis, AICP
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.
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...
March 2, 2020 | Ennis Davis, AICP
In honor of Women's History Month, let’s reflect upon the lives of unsung African-American women who helped build 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...
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...
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.
February 5, 2020 | Ennis Davis, AICP
Situated on the opposite side of Interstate 95 from Downtown Jacksonville, Durkeeville is a historic neighborhood that most Jaxsons may not know or have visited. Developed for Jacksonville's rapidly growing...
February 2, 2020 | By Jada Wright-Greene
In honor of Black History Month, here are ten historic African-American sites in Jacksonville to visit, recommended by Jada Wright-Greene of HeritageSalon.org.
January 24, 2020 | Guest Article by Dr. Tim Gilmore
In honor of former Jacksonville mayor Jake Godbold (1934 - 2020), here is a story about one of his favorite local spots in town.
January 19, 2020 | Adrienne Burke, AICP, Esq.
A brief editorial highlighting the importance of a historic site related to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Downtown Jacksonville.
November 11, 2019 | Bullet of Abandoned Florida
Abandoned Florida takes a look inside of former Cecil Field Naval Air Station's forgotten Yellow Water Weapons Storage Area.
November 1, 2019 | Bill Delaney
The annual Florida-Georgia football game is one of Jacksonville's oldest and most storied traditions. Dating back to 1915 (or is it 1904?) it has a history that puts most college...
October 25, 2019 | Ennis Davis, AICP
Do you really know your next door neighbor? Over the last century, Jacksonville has been the home of several interesting characters and residents who operated on the other side of...
October 23, 2019 | Ennis Davis, AICP
Before and after images in and around South Beach that illustrate the incremental transformation of Florida's most popular urban destination.
October 11, 2019 | Ennis Davis, AICP
During the 20 years following the creation of the country's first enclosed regional mall in 1956, so many were built in Florida that they started to cannibalize each other. Here's...
October 2, 2019 | Ennis Davis, AICP
Historically associated with the Lowcountry region that stretches from Wilmington, North Carolina to St. Augustine, Florida, the Gullah Geechee are descendants of Central and West African ancestors who arrived in...
September 25, 2019 | David Bulit
A look inside an abandoned building with 109 years of interesting historical stories to share.
August 27, 2019 | Bullet of Abandoned Florida
Abandoned Florida takes a look inside of Nassau County's long forgotten Riverside Motel and St. Mary's Liquors.
July 30, 2019 | Ennis Davis, AICP
A snapshot in time. Here is a look at the then segregated, Duval County Public School system's educational facilities for African-American students during the 1955-56 school year.
July 26, 2019 | Ennis Davis, AICP
Presently the site of Tillie K. Fowler Regional Park, this land was once home to a vibrant community called Yukon.
July 12, 2019 | Bullet of Abandoned Florida
Abandoned Florida takes a look inside Downtown Jacksonville's long vacant Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, Jacksonville Branch.
July 8, 2019 | Ennis Davis, AICP
Sandwiched between the tidal saltwater marshes of the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve and the St. Johns River, Heckscher Drive is not only one of the most scenic thoroughfares in...
June 21, 2019 | Ennis Davis, AICP
A 'regional brewery' is one that distributes to particular regions on a smaller basis than the nationwide breweries many of us are familiar with today. Though the Florida Beer Company...
June 18, 2019 | Ennis Davis, AICP
A behind-the-scenes look into the history and decay of the last downtown Jacksonville office building designed by early 20th century architectural mastermind H.J. Klutho.
June 12, 2019 | Ennis Davis, AICP
Located 46 miles west of New Orleans, Whitney Plantation is a museum and historic district that is devoted to sharing the un-sugarcoated story of slavery.
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...
May 14, 2019 | Ennis Davis, AICP
A walk through one of Florida's most prestigious early 20th century African-American cemeteries: Miami's Lincoln Memorial Park
April 15, 2019 | Ennis Davis, AICP
The rise and fall of Florida's largest early 20th century red light district: The Line.
March 25, 2019 | Ennis Davis, AICP
Sometimes we overlook the influence and role many former residents have played in shaping the society we live in today. Raised in Jacksonville's Eastside, A. Philip Randolph (1889-1979) left town...
March 22, 2019 | Aubrey Brown
A brief article highlighting the general history of convict leasing in the development of Florida.
March 4, 2019 | Adrienne Burke, AICP, Esq.
A tale of two Jacksonville women...Cora Crane and Zora Neale Hurston. These two remarkable women paint a picture of not only different lives in Jacksonville history, but unique and fascinating...
December 28, 2018 | Ennis Davis, AICP
Rarely seen imagery taken between 1928 and 1929, of Jacksonville's neighborhoods by George W. Simons Jr.
October 30, 2018 | Ennis Davis, AICP
Modern Cities shares the sites and scenes from what may be one of the country's most underrated and overlooked urban environments: Downtown Pittsburgh
September 27, 2018 | Ennis Davis
Black history is ineradicable to our cities history, just as it is imperative to a comprehension of our nation’s evolution. Traditionally, black cultural resources in have been among the most...
August 10, 2018 | Ennis Davis
Modern Cities takes a look at a city that has built an economy out of the preservation of history.
July 30, 2018 | Ennis Davis
A look into the industrial ruins and remains of a 19th century cypress lumber mill.
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...
July 3, 2018 | Ennis Davis
Bullet of Abandoned Florida provides us with a rare look inside of an abandoned Green Cove Springs estate.
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...
April 25, 2018 | Ennis Davis
Modern Cities takes a look at a forgotten part of cigar making history in Florida.
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...
March 26, 2018 | Ennis Davis
Home to the first four-level freeway interchange in America, Los Angeles is a city that has become an international poster child for everything concerning urban sprawl. However, to equate the...
February 4, 2018 | Ennis Davis
Despite being a major center for black commerce and culture during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, not much is known about Jacksonville's significant African-American history, heritage and culture....
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.
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.
December 4, 2017 | Ennis Davis
Modern Cities takes a look at the remains of the South's most overlooked substantial African-American entertainment district during the formative years of ragtime, blues and jazz in the early 20th...
November 27, 2017 | Ennis Davis
A look at the architectural evolution of one of the largest grocery chains in the United States.
October 22, 2017 | Ennis Davis
Closing in on 900,000 residents, Jacksonville is a bustling Sunbelt city with a bright future. However, a visit to its Moncrief Road cemetery district suggests it is a community that...
October 12, 2017 | Ennis Davis
A 'regional brewery' can be described as one that distributes to particular regions on a smaller basis than the nationwide breweries many of us are familiar with today. According to...
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.
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...
September 18, 2017 | Ennis Davis
Passionate about the preservation of historic structures to renew our downtowns without reshaping their skylines, Christopher Levy shares the story behind the transformation of a 19th century Birmingham boarding house...
August 28, 2017 | Ennis Davis
Situated in the heart of Central Florida, the City of Lake Wales is a place known for a variety of things. From the Legend of Spook Hill and Bok Tower...
August 22, 2017 | Ennis Davis
Bullet of Autopsy of Architecture provides us with a look inside one of the South's tallest abandoned buildings: 100 North Main in Downtown Memphis
August 13, 2017 | Ennis Davis
Home to the University of Florida, with an estimated 2016 population of 131,591, Gainesville is the largest city in North Central Florida and one rapidly redeveloping into a walkable community....
July 16, 2017 | Ennis Davis
Abandoned in 1999, Mt. Calvary Baptist Church is one of the largest buildings still standing in Brooklyn, that date back to the Jacksonville neighborhood's days before demolition and gentrification. Tim...
June 5, 2017 | Ennis Davis
Modern Cities' Ennis Davis, AICP shares sights and scenes from the inside of Washington, DC's National Museum of African American History & Culture.
May 11, 2017 | Ennis Davis
Bullet of Autopsy of Architecture takes us on a tour inside of what's said to be one of the country's most haunted sites: Birmingham's Sloss Furnaces
April 30, 2017 | Ennis Davis
A property containing a few of Florida's oldest abanonded skyscrapers is on its way to finally being brought back to life. With this in mind, Bullet of Abandoned Florida takes...
April 11, 2017 | Ennis Davis
The rise and fall of an overlooked historic Jacksonville streetcar suburb: Lackawanna.
March 31, 2017 | Mike Field
The Case of Parramore, an African American community in Orlando that has been almost erased from history.
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...
February 21, 2017 | Ennis Davis
This article by Dr. Tim Gilmore of jaxpsychogeo.com examines the history of one of the last surviving American Civil War era structures in urban Jacksonville.
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...
February 6, 2017 | Ennis Davis
Bullet of Abandoned Florida provides us with a rare look inside an early 20th century cigar factory: West Tampa's Balbin Brother's Cigar Factory
January 26, 2017 | Ennis Davis
Bullet of Abandoned Florida provides us with a rare look inside one of downtown Birmingham's most majestic historic abandoned buildings: The Thomas Jefferson Hotel
January 1, 2017 | Ennis Davis
Bullet of Abandoned Florida provides us with a rare look inside one of Florida's first automobile dealerships: The Claude Nolan Cadillac Building
November 29, 2016 | Ennis Davis
Be careful the next time you curse a building as a bad piece of architecture. Sometimes looks aren't always what they seem. Here's seven downtown Jacksonville buildings that have been...
November 15, 2016 | 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...
October 17, 2016 | Ennis Davis
An interesting comparison of 1949 and 2016 aerials illustrating the impact of time and change on the shape of Florida's capital city: Tallahassee.
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.
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.
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.
September 14, 2016 | Ennis Davis
Once housing an institution that enhanced the lives of tens of thousands of citizens over a century, the abandoned Barnett Bank Building still stands two blocks from William Boyd Barnett’s...
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...
August 18, 2016 | Ennis Davis
24 then and now images from the core of one of America's greatest cities: San Francisco.
August 16, 2016 | Ennis Davis
In preparation of APA Florida's 2016 Annual Conference and in honor of the good work being achieved by URBN Tampa Bay (United Residents for Better Neighborhoods), here's a look at...
August 2, 2016 | Ennis Davis
The Sun Belt has seen substantial population growth since the 1960s from an influx of people seeking a warm and sunny climate, a surge in retiring baby boomers, and growing...
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...
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...
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...
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.
April 24, 2025 | Ennis Davis, AICP
The recently completed Union Terminal Warehouse project stands as a compelling example...
April 23, 2025 | Bill Delaney
Join The Jaxson's Bill Delaney for a showing of the classic Florida...
April 22, 2025 | Ennis Davis, AICP
The Great Southern Box Company Food Hall & Bar officially opened its...
April 14, 2025 | Ennis Davis, AICP
S-Line Urban Greenway opened in 2008 as Jacksonville's first dedicated urban multiuse...
March 12, 2025 | Ennis Davis, AICP
Located in southwest St. Johns County, Downtown Hastings is experiencing a rapid...
March 3, 2025 | Mike Field
In a dimly-lit room above Riverside’s Cool Moose Café, an innocuous meeting...
March 19, 2025 | Ennis Davis, AICP
Located one hour south of Jacksonville, Ravine Gardens State Park is built...
September 9, 2024 | Ennis Davis, AICP
A natural getaway within the city limits of Jacksonville, Cedar Point Preserve...
July 31, 2024 | Ennis Davis, AICP
Located 20 minutes north of Downtown Atlanta, the Galleria Specialty Mall is...
July 26, 2024 | Ennis Davis, AICP
Stranded in Minneapolis due to Delta's CrowdStrike outage struggles, The Jaxson took...
April 3, 2024 | Ennis Davis, AICP
Looking to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city...
March 7, 2024 | Ennis Davis, AICP
A visual tour of one of the last intact Sea Island Gullah...
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January 20, 2025 | Ennis Davis, AICP
Once the largest train station south of Washington, D.C., more than fifty...
September 19, 2024 | City of Jacksonville Press Release
The City of Jacksonville has been awarded a $1.25 million grant from...
July 30, 2024 | Editorial by Ennis Davis, AICP
Consuming nearly 800-square miles of land area, the City of Jacksonville contains...
July 12, 2024 | Ennis Davis, AICP
Jacksonville and much of Florida owes a lot of gratitude to this...
June 11, 2024 | Ennis Davis, AICP
A 1914 map of Jacksonville's streetcar system. At the time, Jacksonville's streetcar...
May 16, 2024 | Ennis Davis, AICP
The North Florida TPO is partnering with Duval County to determine the...
September 4, 2024 | Photographs by Caron Streibich @CaronEats
The long awaited official ribbon cutting and grand opening of the Historic...
June 17, 2024 | Ennis Davis, AICP
On Tuesday, June 11, Mayor Deegan filed formal legislation for the $1.4...
May 2, 2024 | Ennis Davis, AICP
The heyday of the enclosed shopping mall in Florida is long gone....
April 9, 2024 | Ennis Davis, AICP
Regional enclosed shopping centers across the country are in decline. Charleston's Citadel...
February 27, 2024 | Ennis Davis, AICP
Located in Brunswick, Georgia, Glynn Place Mall is the only enclosed regional...
January 30, 2024 | Ennis Davis, AICP
For decades, Bradenton's DeSoto Square Mall was one of the most popular...
April 8, 2025 | Ennis Davis, AICP
During the late 19th century, Jacksonville experienced a major industrial boom. Factories,...
March 31, 2025 | Ennis Davis, AICP
For much of the 20th century, the West Jacksonville Yard and its...
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March 24, 2025 | Ennis Davis, AICP
For nearly fifty years, Walker’s Commercial & Vocational College was a major...
March 16, 2025 | Article by Bill Delaney
Forgotten for centuries, the ancient city of St. Augustine hosted what was...
February 24, 2025 | Ennis Davis, AICP
Established in 1901 and operating until 1990, the Afro-American Life Insurance Company...
February 17, 2025 | Ennis Davis, AICP
The Great Migration was the movement of roughly six million Black people...
April 24, 2025 | Ennis Davis, AICP
The recently completed Union Terminal Warehouse project stands as a compelling example...
April 23, 2025 | Bill Delaney
Join The Jaxson's Bill Delaney for a showing of the classic Florida...
April 22, 2025 | Ennis Davis, AICP
The Great Southern Box Company Food Hall & Bar officially opened its...
April 14, 2025 | Ennis Davis, AICP
S-Line Urban Greenway opened in 2008 as Jacksonville's first dedicated urban multiuse...
April 8, 2025 | Ennis Davis, AICP
During the late 19th century, Jacksonville experienced a major industrial boom. Factories,...
March 31, 2025 | Ennis Davis, AICP
For much of the 20th century, the West Jacksonville Yard and its...