Ghost of Jacksonville: Davis Street

[tufsu1]

great article and images Lake!

[HangingMoth]

Your images of the past mixed with the present have an artistically haunting appeal to them. I could see them as a permanent display for a LaVilla Museum, a museum somewhere around Genover's Hall. Maybe someday when our city wakes up and takes responsibility for its careless destructiveness that might happen. Anyways, great article I enjoyed it very much.

[thelakelander]

Thanks.  Since Metro Jacksonville has the rights to a decent sized collection of historical imagery, I plan to do more in the future. Right now, I'm working on creating a list of lost districts.  However, it's also something I can do for areas where historic buildings still stand.

[sheclown]

Thanks.  Since Metro Jacksonville has the rights to a decent sized collection of historical imagery, I plan to do more in the future. Right now, I'm working on creating a list of lost districts.  However, it's also something I can do for areas where historic buildings still stand.

good project Ennis.

[cellmaker]

Fantastic imagery!  It's just heartbreaking to see what's happened to Jacksonville. 

I think about the scene in The Three Faces of Eve where Joanne Woodward gets excited about going dancing in Jacksonville.  The Big City long gone, indeed. 

[chas1445]

Excellent article.  I enjoyed the pictures.  I don't know if any of my school mates are still around, but I played on, and walked the streets around Davis street before it was demolished. I also attended Darnell-Cookman Elementry School when it was on 7Th and Davis.  They moved us to public school #135 on the corner of 15Th and Davis.  At the time everyone called it Davis Street Junior High School, although it had grades 1-9.  I graduated from Davis Street in 1950.  They changed the name to Isaiah Blocker.  Our prom was held at the recreation center in Wilder's Park.  I am surprised to see my old high school "STANTON" still standing on Ashley Street.  I have retired, and relocated back to my home town.  As I previously stated.  I am surprised to see so much of the neighborhood  that I grew up in have been destroyed.  This was a very good article.  The pictures are worth a thousand words. 

[heights unknown]

From 1965 to 1968, I lived on Duval Street one block from Davis at 817 West Duval. Walk out of the house, go right a half a block, and there is the intersection of Duval and Davis. There is an empty lot there now, but we lived in a two story, wooden, rental/boarding house, however, back then those houses were in pretty pristine condition. My Mother and I lived in one of the rooms which was beautifully wallpapered, had linoleum covered floors, and had one bath on the first floor and the second floor for all of the tenants except for the "Rent Lady" (Property Manager or Landlord) in which she had her own bathroom, bedroom, and living room...no kitchen or dining area...but she had a very large space which was in super condition. Davis Street in the 1960's, near the area where I lived, was filled with small bars, taverns, restaurant, clothing stores, food and beverage stores, all of course to serve the African American Community in the LaVilla area. The Roosevelt Theater (on Ashley Street), and the Ritz Theater (further down on Union or State I can't remember) were within walking distance of our house and Davis Street was one block from the Roosevelt (west), and the Ritz was right on the corner of Davis and Union (or State). LaVilla, and especially Davis Street and Ashely Street were cauldrons of activity, music, people hanging out, and you could hear all different types of 60's soul music blaring out of the bars and taverns on Davis, Ashley, and other areas of LaVilla. My Mother always made me stay in the house after dark; especially when she sent me down to the Roosevelt Grill one night (a soul fast food restaurant which was attached to the Roosevelt Theater), and a young boy robbed me of the money she had gave me. I can still smell the smells, hear the music, and see shoulder deep people walking along Davis Street back in those days. My what memories!

[clh222]

I always enjoy reading your writings on the history of black Jacksonville.  Especially the history of the LaVilla area where I grew up.  I was born there in 1955 and lived there until 1980.  I reside in Virginia just outside of Washington, DC.  I am currently working in Saudi Arabia.  Being so far away from home I find myself reminiscing about home, family, friends, and places in the LaVilla area.  Your writings and pictures make the memories so vivid.  Thanks for chronicling black Jacksonville and all of Jacksonville's history. 

[glc1945]

Does anyone have a picture of Davis Street School c. 1951..? I lived with my grandmother, Ina Ruth Lawrence, on Davis St. in the early 1950s. I started school at Davis St., and my grandmother was the librarian there. After school was over, my brother and I used to sit in the library looking through the books and magazines until she was finished working. We moved to the South Side on Freeman Road, and I went to Douglas Anderson. My father moved to Los Angeles when I was in the 7th grade, and I have only been back to Jacksonville once since then. I now live in New Jersey and teach at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. Jacksonville is a core component of my personal history...

[Carolyn]

Ennis the effect you used for these pics is awesome!
I sooo love the history of Jacksonville. It was (can be) an awesome place.

[thelakelander]

Thank you, Carolyn!

[deathstar]

I love picking the brains of elderly customers about what Jacksonville was like back in their heyday. Hearing about what a lively place Downtown was and matching their stories to what I've seen here, all I can do is imagine. I've often thought about what fun it could have been to go see a show in one of the many theaters that occupied all of the empty lots or abandoned buildings we see today. All we're left with is what once was and scratching our noggins as to "what the hell were they thinking?"

Also, this is for Lake, Stephen & OCK, everytime I go on a bike ride through Avondale/Riverside and pass Aberdeen, one of few streets still left with the bricks I wonder if even half of the residents living there today know just what they're there for?