Remembering LaVilla: 316-320 North Jefferson Street

[thelakelander]

A brief look into the history of two of the five historic residential structures still standing east of Interstate 95 in LaVilla

Read More: https://www.thejaxsonmag.com/article/remembering-lavilla-316-320-north-jefferson-street/

[heights unknown]

I lived in LaVilla with my Mom in the early to mid/late 60's. I never knew that LaVilla, before blacks moved in, was Jewish in any sense; but it appears that before blacks/African Americans moved in, it was very ethnically diverse. I did date a Jewish girl whose Father ran a bar/bistro on Davis Street in 1968, just when I was entering puberty; so that explains it, the Jewishness in and around LaVilla. When we lived there there were still Jews sprinkled around who owned businesses there. My Mom came down to visit on Friday and stayed the weekend with me at my house in Suwannee County; we spent a day in Jacksonville on Saturday and went through LaVilla, and, my Mom couldn't believe how it had changed and how all or most of the houses are now gone. She dated a Cuban guy back then in the 60's who worked at the Union Terminal as a Porter, and, he lived in the white house above renting a room there. My Mom also, in the very early 60's lived at 826 West Adams Street before moving later to 817 West Duval Street, and she frequented a corner drug store that I believe was on the corner of Jefferson and Adams (I think). She was "gapped mouthed" at how the area has changed and she could barely recognize it. Awesome stuff guys and thanks for jogging the noodle.

[thelakelander]

It's a damn shame what happened to LaVilla. Thanks for sharing your memories. Do remember the Myrtle Avenue area back during the 1960s? Was that area generally considered LaVilla back then? How far west did LaVilla go before being recognized as a different neighborhood?