The American Motors Export Company
(http://photos.metrojacksonville.com/photos/1462676082_Mtf7DJd-M.jpg)
If not for the untimely death of Henry Innes, Jacksonville could have blossomed as a major southern automobile manufacturing center. 90 years later, Metro Jacksonville takes a look at the story of the American Motors Export Company and history of assembly plant still remaining in Jacksonville's Northside.
Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2011-sep-the-american-motors-export-company
Is this company any relation to the old Hanson Motorcar Works in Atlanta?
That complex was demolished about ten years ago after a fire.
I think they retooled Fords.
Is there a lumber company in the building now?
The site appears to be vacant. The lumber company filed for chapter 11 in 2010. They may still own it but they definitely aren't pressure treating lumber any more. There was some relation to Simms Motor Car Corp. of Atlanta. Not so sure about Hanson.
QuoteSimms
The Simms Motor Car Corp.
Atlanta, GA
1920-1921
The Simms was an American Automobile produced by The Simms Motor Car Corporation of Atlanta, GA in 1920 and 1921. Very few were ever made and not much is known about the automobile except that it used a four cylinder engine. Only five passenger Touring Cars were produced. The Simms was succeeded by the Innes, an American Automobile built in Jacksonville, FL.
http://www.american-automobiles.com/Simms.html
Very cool article Lake!
I guess since Wood Treaters went bankrupt there's no hope of them paying to remediate the property. That's a bummer. Luckily it looks like EPA is going to take care of it. It's interesting that they were able to let lumber drip dry directly into the soil up until last year. You would think they would have to come up with some sort of better plan than letting contaminants drip and then leach into the retention pond (and ultimately into Moncrief Creek). But I guess somebody has to supply JEA with new utility poles to install.
Great post, as always, Ennis. I've put it up on the Jacksonville Historical Society's Facebook page . . . hope everyone will "friend" the Historical Society as it works to become a more active Internet voice for our city's history. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jacksonville-Historical-Society/142223149156255
cline, the EPA is in the process of cleaning the site now. This was emailed to me today from an EPA representative:
U. S. Environmental Protection Agency
Region 4
Fairfax St. Wood Treaters Site
Update Fact Sheet
Emergency Response/Removal Activities
In July 2010, Wood Treaters LLC filed for bankruptcy. The property was left unattended, and normal maintenance of the stormwater runoff system ceased. Wood treating chemicals were abandoned in 7 above ground storage tanks. The tanks contained high levels of arsenic, chromium and copper in sludge and liquid form. Stormwater eventually overflowed the sump and secondary containment area surrounding the tank, flowed onto the parking lot, and into the retention pond. The pond discharged to Moncrief Creek. Further, the tanks and secondary containment structures were in poor condition. In August 2010, the State of Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) contacted the National Response Center and EPA for assistance with managing the overflow and reducing impact to nearby residences and the environment.
On August 11, 2010, EPA initiated an Emergency Response action to secure the site, prevent waste from draining to Moncrief Creek, and prevent the tanks and secondary containment structure from overflowing. On February 15, 2011, EPA transitioned the site from an Emergency Response action to a Removal Action. EPA has completed the following activities:
Emergency Response and Removal Actions On-Site
Prevented contaminated run-off water from discharging off site
Removed water and sediment from retention pond
Built a waste water treatment system utilizing titanium oxide microcrystals adsorption
Treated and disposed 78,000+ gallons of contaminated water
40,000 gallons of CCA contaminated water were shipped off site for recycling
Excavated and removed CCA sludge within the sump, storage tanks and piping
Excavated top 6 inches of soil across the site
Decontaminated drip pad and containment area
Storm water flow through the tank farm and secondary containment area was minimized
Tanks and piping cleaned and removed
Provided security
Removal Actions Off-Site
School playground: contaminated soil near the fence line with Wood Treaters was excavated. The area was filled with clean soil and re-seeded
School property: contaminated water and sediments in the retention pond were removed
Approximately 3,200 yards of CCA contaminated soil and sediment are stockpiled on site and will be properly disposed. Contaminated water has been processed through the on-site treatment system and discharged to the sewer system, in consultation to with the Jacksonville Electric Authority (JEA). Contaminated soil and sediments at the Susie Tolbert Elementary School has been removed.
Future Activities
EPA’s Removal Action is expected to be complete in the Fall of 2011. EPA has collected soil samples from 35 residential properties immediately surrounding the site. Results are being compared to EPA’s “Removal Action Levels†to determine if an immediate response, such as soil excavation, is needed. As of August 12, 2011, no residential yards exceed the EPA Removal Action Levels. However, EPA is still waiting for laboratory results for 11 properties sampled during the week of July 25, 2011. At the time this fact sheet was printed, EPA does not know if any of those 11 properties will require clean up. EPA will contact residents individually when the sampling results are available.
EPA has collected soil, sediment, surface water and groundwater samples from the Fairfax St. Wood Treaters site and the surrounding area. The sampling results are being used to identify the extent of CCA contamination and to determine if additional clean up actions are necessary.
EPA’s Removal Action is design to address urgent and immediate risks to human health and the environment. Once the EPA Removal Action is complete, EPA will determine if the site qualifies for the next step in the Superfund clean up program: inclusion on EPA’s National Priorities List. If the site does not qualify for EPA’s National Priorities List, then it will be referred to FDEP for follow up. If the site qualifies for the National Priorities List, then EPA will conduct more extensive investigations, risk assessments and clean up to address long term risks. This is called the “Remedial Process.†EPA has not made a final decision about whether Fairfax St. Wood Treaters site qualifies for the National Priorities List and the Remedial Process.
Community Participation
Community input is needed to understand community concerns about the site and to begin planning for the eventual re-use of the site.
At the beginning of the article, photos of the cars they produced are featured. What a stylish car. WOW!
Any strange circumstances surrounding his sudden death?
This building is on code enforcement's "priority list" for demolishing.
The building is listed in the Architectural Heritage book and was built by Marsh and Saxelbye.
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/forum/index.php?topic=23641.0
From the other list, as of March 13, 2015, it was released to a demo contractor, though not yet released by the HPC. This is exactly the type of building that should be saved for a future re-purposing. It is an open warehouse structure than can easily be re-purposed, it has a great and historic history and if I read things right, recently cleaned up by the EPA. Demolition at this point will do nothing but cost the taxpayers money that may never, ever get repaid.
I'm not surprised, what may be Florida's first automobile assembly plant (yeah, it's older than the Ford plant by four years), is on the demo list. It's vacant and it's the biggest thing over in that neighborhood.....besides the old Jax Beer brewery a few blocks down 16th Street.
American Motors Export Company was the dream of Henry Innes, nearly 100 years ago. Innes was a longtime associate of Horace Dodge and worked with him on creating the first Dodge car. He then joined William Durant's management staff at Chevrolet and was so successful, they put him in charge of production at General Motors. In 1920, he decided to finally develop his own automobile and he selected Jax for his assembly plant's location. Plans called for parts to be shipped in via the St. Johns Terminal Railroad, where his luxury cars would be assembled in his plant and then shipped across the globe. Anticipating quick expansion, he purchased the large tract off Fairfax in order to easily meet future demand. Unfortunately, he only got six vehicles assembled before an untimely death shortly after the opening of his auto plant.
(http://photos.metrojacksonville.com/Other/Misc2/i-KhDjVbM/0/XL/056-XL.jpg)
An exhibit of Henry L. Innes' cars and trucks at the Florida State Fair in November 1921. Image courtesy of Reclaiming Jacksonville book and the Antique Automobile Club of America.
Why is this a "priority" for demolition?
It's vacant, which equals blight in some people's eyes. So my guess is someone complained, since the lists seem to be complaint based driven. It's a pretty large industrial structure so whoever gets the bid will make a lot more than the typical houses showing up on these list.
Some images from MJ's photo archives:
(http://photos.metrojacksonville.com/History/American-Motors-Export-Company/i-CH7JBXH/0/M/Howard%20Feed%20Mills%20-%201950-M.jpg)
(http://photos.metrojacksonville.com/History/Jacksonville-Historic/i-3wTsW6q/0/L/Continental%20Can%20Company%20Historic-L.jpg)
(http://photos.metrojacksonville.com/History/Auto-Plant/i-z3rChgj/0/L/DSC_0149-L.jpg)
(http://photos.metrojacksonville.com/History/Auto-Plant/i-6cDmzgZ/0/L/DSC_0150-L.jpg)
(http://photos.metrojacksonville.com/History/Auto-Plant/i-wsfgKPn/0/L/DSC_0154-L.jpg)
(http://photos.metrojacksonville.com/History/Auto-Plant/i-hJktKdZ/0/L/DSC_0156-L.jpg)
What is the current ownership situation?
I've always meant to go by and see this building.
Fairfax Land Management, Inc.
http://www.epa.gov/region4/superfund/sites/npl/florida/fairfaxwoodfl.html
This site DEFINITELY needs an environmental review prior to being sent out to bid.
I just now noticed the building was torn down. Appears to have been between October and November 2015.
I loved industrial architecture back in those days where it was more than just a place to work, but from the EPA report it appears the building and surrounding grounds was saturated with toxic chems and would have cost a new owner a bundle to remediate.
A historical loss for sure, but one that would be dangerous to save.
Yeah, it was torn down about a year or so ago. What was left of it was a pretty cool building with an interesting history. However, I'm not sure what would have made it dangerous to save. I thought the EPA cleaned up the site a few years back.
Quote from: thelakelander on July 07, 2017, 06:14:19 AM
Yeah, it was torn down about a year or so ago. What was left of it was a pretty cool building with an interesting history. However, I'm not sure what would have made it dangerous to save. I thought the EPA cleaned up the site a few years back.
I thought the EPA cleanup included demo due to saturation of the ground underneath.
The foundation is still there. I believe the EPA cleanup happened before the building's walls were demolished.
Site of the Howard Feed Mill as well
Today the property is completely surrounded by residential. Based on some old photos it looks like it was somewhat rural years ago.
It would have been interesting to see what it might have become without the demo.
It was surrounded by residential land uses from the start. Surrounding housing density increased through the years but was pretty much what it is today, by the end of WW2. During the 1930s, the Continental Can Company operated here. They made cans for the Jax Beer brewery, which is right down the street, in the adjacent residential area.
Always meant to go by and see building......