Lost Jax: Springfield's Legendary Capitol Theater

[Metro Jacksonville]

Lost Jax: Springfield's Legendary Capitol Theater



Built in the bustling heart of the Springfield business center, at the end of the Main Street Trolley Line, The Capitol Theater drew from all around the county and left one of the most enduring memories of Old Jacksonville behind.

Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2012-jun-lost-jax-springfields-legendary-capitol-theater

[Ocklawaha]

Built in the bustling heart of the Springfield business center, at the end of the Main Street Trolley Line.

Not quite the end in more modern times. In the earliest incarnation the 'Pine Street Railway,' a narrow gauge mule car line indeed ended at this location, then considered far out into the woods. They built a recreation area with a dance hall at the end of the line, right about the same location of the intersection today. After the fire and the 1912 consolidation of the Jacksonville Electric Railway into the JACKSONVILLE TRACTION COMPANY, 8Th and Main was a major junction on the streetcar system. It is where the 1St and Walnut, Phoenix, Talleyrand, and Market Street Loops converged on Main Street. Further west the 4Th and Pearl, and further north, the Racetrack/29Th and Woodbine routes also doubled back and passed by this location.

As you can see the mass transit connections were pretty incredible and this allowed the theater to pull in audiences from a vast area. This same principal could be used today in Avondale and the Park and King districts to avoid destruction of more historic property in the name of accommodating more automobiles. Demanding more parking for venues like this historic theater is like a civic case of Lesch-Nyhan syndrome or 'self cannibalism.' Eating neighboring properties for the benefit of cars is like eating your own limbs... it might offer temporary relief, but in the end you kill the organism.

[iloveionia]

The cover pic is Dancy Terrace, yes?

[avonjax]

I went to that theater hundreds of times. Great childhood memories. I was so sad when it burned, and then razed.

[Timkin]

Another beautiful structure, long gone.

Nice article.  Cool pic of Dancy Terrace.