Keeping the Memory of the Chitlin Circuit Alive

July 3, 2020 | Ennis Davis, AICP

history

A look at eight Chitlin Circuit venues standing throughout the state of Florida.

Florida LGBTQ history: Timucua two-spirits

June 30, 2020 | Bill Delaney

history

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...

4 racial protests and riots from Jacksonville's past

June 2, 2020 | Editorial by Ennis Davis, AICP

history

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...

Abandoned: Burdines Department Store

May 28, 2020 | Abandoned Florida

history

Abandoned Florida takes a look inside of Downtown Miami's former Burdines flagship department store.

The Story of Milligan's Beefy Burgers

May 25, 2020 | Ennis Davis, AICP

history

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

Writers of the First Coast: Harriet Beecher Stowe

April 21, 2020 | Bill Delaney

history

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...

Six free black towns in Florida

April 14, 2020 | Ennis Davis, AICP

history

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

history

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...

14 exceptional women with Jacksonville ties

March 31, 2020 | Ennis Davis, AICP

history

For the last day of Women's History Month, we pay homage to the contributions of 14 exceptional women in history with Jacksonville ties.

Yellow Jax: The 1888 Jacksonville Yellow Fever Epidemic

March 30, 2020 | Bill Delaney

history

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...

The architectural works of Joseph Haygood Blodgett

March 23, 2020 | Ennis Davis, AICP

history

A look at the overlooked architectural works of Joseph Haygood Blodgett. One of Jacksonville's early architects and Florida's first black millionaires.

Eight defunct grocery chains you remember

March 9, 2020 | Ennis Davis, AICP

history

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.

The history of Murray Hill

March 4, 2020 | Ennis Davis, AICP

history

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...

Unsung black women are notable in Jacksonville history

March 2, 2020 | Ennis Davis, AICP

history

In honor of Women's History Month, let’s reflect upon the lives of unsung African-American women who helped build Jacksonville.

Before & After: Jacksonville

February 27, 2020 | Ennis Davis, AICP

history

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.

Durkee Gardens: Jax's first black historic district

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...

Historical Jewels in Jacksonville

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.

Jake Godbold and Fred Cotten’s Barbecue

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.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Jacksonville

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.

Abandoned: Yellow Water Nuclear Weapons Storage Area

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.

Florida-Georgia: The History Of A Jax Tradition

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...

A Century of Murder, Mayhem, and Fraud in Jacksonville

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...

Before & After: South Beach

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.

10 Closed Florida Malls You Once Shopped At

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...

Exposing Jacksonville's Gullah Geechee Heritage

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...

Abandoned Florida: The W.P. Sumner Company

September 25, 2019 | David Bulit

A look inside an abandoned building with 109 years of interesting historical stories to share.

Abandoned Florida: Riverside Motel & St.Mary’s Liquors

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.

Segregated Duval: The Black Public Schools of 1955-56

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.

Jacksonville's Ghost Town: Yukon

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.

Abandoned Florida: Jax's Federal Reserve Bank

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.

Heckscher Drive: The Jacksonville You Forgot

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...

Florida's Forgotten Original Regional Breweries

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...

Forgotten Places: Florida Baptist Convention Building

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.

Exposing the Real Story of Slavery: Whitney Plantation

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.

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...

Inside's Miami's Historic Lincoln Memorial Park

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

The Line: Jacksonville's Notorious Red Light District

April 15, 2019 | Ennis Davis, AICP

The rise and fall of Florida's largest early 20th century red light district: The Line.

Ten Asa Philip Randolph Sites In Jacksonville

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...

The Story of Convict Leasing in Florida

March 22, 2019 | Aubrey Brown

A brief article highlighting the general history of convict leasing in the development of Florida.

Jacksonville's Remarkable Women: Cora & Zora

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...

Urban Jacksonville in 1928

December 28, 2018 | Ennis Davis, AICP

Rarely seen imagery taken between 1928 and 1929, of Jacksonville's neighborhoods by George W. Simons Jr.

Sights and Scenes: Downtown Pittsburgh

October 31, 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

Saving History: Nashville's Conservation Districts

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...

The Deep South's original big city: Charleston

August 10, 2018 | Ennis Davis

Modern Cities takes a look at a city that has built an economy out of the preservation of history.

Abandoned Florida: Palatka's Selden Cypress

July 30, 2018 | Ennis Davis

A look into the industrial ruins and remains of a 19th century cypress lumber mill.

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...

The final days of an abandoned Clay County estate

July 3, 2018 | Ennis Davis

Bullet of Abandoned Florida provides us with a rare look inside of an abandoned Green Cove Springs estate.

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...

Move over Tampa, Jax is Florida's forgotten Cigar City

April 25, 2018 | Ennis Davis

Modern Cities takes a look at a forgotten part of cigar making history in Florida.

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...

Overlooked Urbanism: Los Angeles' Historic Urban Core

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...

Five Early Jacksonville African American Architects

February 5, 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....

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 11, 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.

The remains of Jax's ragtime, blues and jazz age

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...

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.

Abandoned & Forgotten: Moncrief Road Cemeteries

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...

The Lost Story of Regional Breweries in Florida

October 13, 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...

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...

From 19th Century Boarding House to 21st Century Bistro

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...

Abandoned Florida: The Dixie Walesbilt Hotel

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...

Autopsy of Architecture: 100 North Main

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

Gainesville: the quintessential urbanizing college town

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....

Abandoned Brooklyn: Mt. Calvary Baptist Church

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...

Inside the National Museum of African American History

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.

Autopsy of Architecture: Birmingham's Sloss Furnaces

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

A look inside Jacksonville's historic Laura Street Trio

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...

The rise and fall of a streetcar suburb: Lackawanna

April 11, 2017 | Ennis Davis

The rise and fall of an overlooked historic Jacksonville streetcar suburb: Lackawanna.

The Rise and Fall of an African American Inner City

March 31, 2017 | Mike Field

The Case of Parramore, an African American community in Orlando that has been almost erased from history.

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 Brooklyn: The Buffalo Soldier’s House

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.

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...

Abandoned Florida: Balbin Brothers Cigar Factory

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

Abandoned America: The Thomas Jefferson Hotel

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

Abandoned Florida: The Claude Nolan Cadillac Building

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

Inside Philadelphia's famed Eastern State Penitentiary

December 25, 2016 | Ennis Davis

7 buildings that don't look as good as they once did

November 30, 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...

Redlining our urban neighborhoods & real estate to ruin

November 16, 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...

Changing Tallahassee: Then and Now

October 18, 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.

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.

Barnett: The rise and fall of Florida's largest bank

September 15, 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...

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...

San Francisco: 24 then and now snapshots in time

August 18, 2016 | Ennis Davis

24 then and now images from the core of one of America's greatest cities: San Francisco.

Discovering the downtown Tampa you didn't know

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...

Macon: A Sunbelt City Preserved In Place

August 3, 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...

A Trip Inside Atlanta's Ponce City Market

July 20, 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.