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About the Factory
The 165,000-sqaure foot assembly plant, located at 1901 Hill Street and designed by internationally recognized industrial architect Albert Kahn, open its doors in 1924. It's known for having a pair of 800' skylight panels that provide natural light into the industrial plant below. At one point, Ford employed over 800 workers who spent their time manufacturing 200 Model-T and Model A cars and trucks a day. Ford shut down this operation in the late 1960's. Today, the factory has made the "Jacksonville's Most Endangered Historic Buildings" list.
The Exterior
A view of the assembly plant's exterior in 1948.
Exterior images of today's remains.
Inside Ford: The Offices
The office complex sparkled in 1948.
Today's remains
This space was once a product showroom. The remaining details give the impression that this was once a very grand space.
Inside Ford: The Plant
The assembly line in 1948.
You don't get a true appreciation for the size of this space until you walk inside of it. Tractor Trailers are being stored on the east end of the building.
Each bay is wide enough to store a truck trailer. 
Railroad sidings still exist inside the complex.
These doors once opened for railcars.
Still here? This space (image above) looked completely different in 1948 (image below).
In rememberance of the old Jacksonville assembly plant, the Ford Motor Company donated several pictures and an old Model-T that are now a part of the permanent exhibits at MOSH.
As of today, a portion of the building is used by Wood-Hopkins Contracting Co. for storage. The ultimate future of this 23 acre historic waterfront site sits in limbo. In 2001, there were plans to turn the building into a mixed use development featuring 144 live/work lofts, 53,000 square feet of commercial space along with a 125-slip marina.
After those plans fell through, the JEDC and Port Authority considered converting the abandoned complex into a $20 million cruise ship terminal. Unfortunately, it was decided that a new terminal should be built east of the Dames Point Bridge, in order to attract ships that may be taller than the bridge's clearance allows.
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billy
January 29, 2008, 07:50:48 AMIt would be a wondrous thing, to see that building renovated and illuminated at night.
Ford once had several dozen of these plants around the country.
NJ to JAX WHAT DID I DO?
January 29, 2008, 09:24:27 AMIf you went to an old abandoned place like this in Jersey, you would always get the feeling you were gonna find a body or two......and hey sometimes you would!...it was creepy even looking at these photos.
billy
January 29, 2008, 09:59:35 AMThe slab is supported by concrete piers and pile caps. Those are supported by groups of wooden piles.
In other words, there's a crawl space below the slab.
thelakelander
January 29, 2008, 10:02:29 AMThere was a lot of light in the place, due to all the windows and skylights it had. I've explored a good number of abandoned buildings and I'd say the Park View Inn was one of the creepiest in Jax.
Inside The Park View Inn: http://www.metrojacksonville.com/content/view/344/117/
hanjin1
January 29, 2008, 10:05:26 AMThis would have been awesome for the the farmers market.
second_pancake
January 29, 2008, 10:10:10 AMWith all that open space and those great skylights, I'd like to see a commercial only complex that included an open-air market. What's the one in San Franciso? You know, on the bay where it's all open, but when you walk inside there are several little shops and booths kind of like kiosks or something and then some closed off restaurants. That would really be cool...kind of a urban mall of sorts. We could even give it a name like, The Plant, or The Shoppes at F.M. CAP
willydenn
January 29, 2008, 08:26:14 PMI agree with Pancake. If done right correctly it would put the Landing to shame.
Coolyfett
January 30, 2008, 11:07:57 PMThis looks like it is in Talleyrand...But I can't tell exactly. This is my first time seeing this building. Good work MJ.C
Steve
January 30, 2008, 11:24:13 PMIf you want to see the building, cross the Mathews Bridge from Arlington, and as you cross the top of the span, look down to your right (ideally when someone else is driving)
Ocklawaha
January 30, 2008, 11:25:11 PMThe old pier is slowly giving way at the East end. Now they have stored 45 foot semi trailers just inside the wall and a few feet beyond the "DANGER KEEP OUT" part of the caving pier. INTENTIONAL? (your call).
The place is nearly under the West approach to the Matthews Bridge and a couple of blocks up a narrow, ugly industrial lane.
Will the new bridge bring it down? Will someone realize it's value? Could we create an entry grand enough to bring people that far from the activity centers of Stadium, Metropolitan Park etc??
Dead Body? In Jacksonville? You are kidding right NJtoJax? Hell Lake and I counted at least 24 of them in there, besides the one that chased us out of the old vault.
The vault was cool. The upstairs bathrooms were cool too, what a hell of a place to stick a bathroom.
I don't think commercial value would ever fly until retail/office overtakes the bend in the river at the Matthews in 4045. Until then, what comes to mind (if it doesn't all fall into the river) is maritime or transportation museum. It's sure big enough to hold (at the same time) a mock Ford Assembly line, a complete train, A B-25, 747 and the Graf Zeppelin, Trolley Barns or displays and Naval, Merchant Marine displays and ships on 3 sides. Not unlike PS-4 Annie Lytle, IF (a HUGE IF) anything this big ever developed in Jacksonville, and the Skyway reached the Stadium district, that or Streetcar might be an ideal way to tie it to downtown. (BTW, there once was an East Bay and a Talleyrand Streetcar route.)
Ocklawaha
Coolyfett
January 31, 2008, 12:15:50 AMThe place is nearly under the West approach to the Matthews Bridge and a couple of blocks up a narrow, ugly industrial lane.
Will the new bridge bring it down? Will someone realize it's value? Could we create an entry grand enough to bring people that far from the activity centers of Stadium, Metropolitan Park etc??
Dead Body? In Jacksonville? You are kidding right NJtoJax? Hell Lake and I counted at least 24 of them in there, besides the one that chased us out of the old vault.
The vault was cool. The upstairs bathrooms were cool too, what a hell of a place to stick a bathroom.
I don't think commercial value would ever fly until retail/office overtakes the bend in the river at the Matthews in 4045. Until then, what comes to mind (if it doesn't all fall into the river) is maritime or transportation museum. It's sure big enough to hold (at the same time) a mock Ford Assembly line, a complete train, A B-25, 747 and the Graf Zeppelin, Trolley Barns or displays and Naval, Merchant Marine displays and ships on 3 sides. Not unlike PS-4 Annie Lytle, IF (a HUGE IF) anything this big ever developed in Jacksonville, and the Skyway reached the Stadium district, that or Streetcar might be an ideal way to tie it to downtown. (BTW, there once was an East Bay and a Talleyrand Streetcar route.)
Ocklawaha
Thanks Ock! Good Stuff. I love reading your post man. You have much knowledge.
hank
January 31, 2008, 11:01:03 AMThese kinds of Industrial Era relics are so different from the paper-mache buildings we have nowadays that it really is a shame that something like this might go unused or even be allowed to fall apart. The light looks amazing! OKL also hinted at the need for retail/office (ie urban stuff) to wrap the bend to make this area viable. There are lots of great examples of industrial building being converted for modern uses but its hard to ask people to live/work in a shipping yard. Will Jax ever be able to occupy that great river-front property for HUMAN use!!?? Another model is something like DIA Beacon (http://www.diabeacon.org/) that is completely disconnected from the nearest city's (NY) urban core but, by having great art and some visionary supporters, they were able to revive an old factory and even some of the local community. There is of course rail transportation right there - imagine that: rail spreading the wealth!
Timkin
February 02, 2008, 05:36:35 PMMassive building! It would be neat to see this and many of the other old unused buildings be refurbished in to something practical. I would hope theyd rather renovate than let the structure fall into the river. That would cost alot more to clean up.
Derweissehai
February 15, 2008, 04:37:16 PMQuestion is how do you actually get in there and shoot some decent photos without getting into trouble. WOuld love to have some photos of the whole place before they decide to just let it go. I do hope they would allow the public to vist since it's historic site. Also who do you contact for something like that?
Ocklawaha
February 15, 2008, 08:53:40 PMOne can do a search through the property appraisers office or the Court House. Another possible site is the JEDC on line site, with the GIS mapping under services. As the scale of the map gets larger, their are more and more "Toys" to play with, layers and other cool details that one can select, So you could go from map to detailed block map, to even more detailed lot map, flood plain layers, then with a click, go to photo image, and lot Id and owner...
Another way is shoot the photos from public access. A sidewalk or road in front, back or side often gives great views of the whole place.
Also, walk right in, past the NO TRESPASSING sign to the nearest gatehouse, guard or office you see. Go in and tell them THE TRUTH... Just learn to add or delete to suit your needs... For example "Javier" is a shoe sales clerk at a local Wal Mart Store, he might get transferred to the stock room with a 10 cent raise. He's a happy man and loves to photograph old buildings.
Javier walks up to a guard and asks to see the plant manager... "Oh Mr. Plant isn't in today, but young J.D. is." So we wait for J. D. and he finally shows up. Stand up, walk up and shake his hand. "J. D. I work with the Wal Mart Corporation out of Bentonville, Arkansas, and am moving into their transportation and logistics systems division soon. I was driving by and saw your rail siding and thought it looked like a perfect model for something I have been telling them about... Would you mind if I took a couple of snap shots of the building, and it's relation to the railroad?"
Next, is Frank. Frank is a homeless guy that works enough to buy the next bottle of dinner and loves to shoot film for his laptop, plugged in behind the Prime Osbourne, under the bridge in a tent! Frank was once big on Computers and loves his building photos. He shows up at the gate which is fenced, guarded and photographed. "Hi I'm Frank, I study photography and have some ideas for new digital images of our City Buildings. Forgive my appearance but we've been working with the homeless all day and I've been asked to photograph anyplace that looks like it might develop a problem with these sort of people. Do y'all have a problem with people in the property?
Well, you get the idea, just fit the conversation to the problem and tackle it like your life or job depends on it. If they give permission with strings attached, "Okay, but stay away from XXX or don't photograph the trucks or... " RESPECT THEIR WISHES.
In any and all cases, "TAKE NOTHING BUT PICTURES AND LEAVE NOTHING BUT FOOTPRINTS...."
Ockalwaha
leahfu
August 31, 2008, 05:04:12 PMYour pictures took my breath away. I've always looked at that while riding over the Mathew's(Matthews?) Bridge and wondered what it was. Thankyou SO MUCH for sharing
mborum
September 21, 2008, 05:30:57 PMMy family owned--or at least rented--this facility in the 1970s and early 1980s. My grandfather's business, the Otis C. Borum Boat company, or just Borum Boats, manufactured hundreds of fibreglas boats during that time with a staff of a few dozen workers (including my dad, who was the lead draftsman).
I remember visiting this building as a kid and my brother and I would have so much fun exploring the parts of it that Granddad didn't use. Back in the 70s it wasn't in such bad repair since Ford had only shut it down a few years prior. Borum Boats used the showroom space and the manufacturing floor and kept it all pretty well-maintained. I used to be so proud to see our name on the huge "BORUM BOATS, INC." sign that used to be face out towards the Matthews Bridge every time we drove over.
Anyway, it's a terrible shame that it has become so ruined in the years since we gave it up. I no longer live in Jacksonville, but a space like this one is the ideal type of space for a public art gallery or exhibition hall for special events. It's too bad the Talleyrand area in general is so industrial that it isn't very appealing to the general public. Still, I'd love to see the building restored (at least partially) and preserved for a more useful purpose.
stjr
July 29, 2009, 07:42:31 PMPictures courtesy of Old Arlington Inc. web site at http://oldarlington.org/GP-CP-FordPlant01.php :
Keith-N-Jax
July 29, 2009, 07:58:28 PMDoubt it. This place is isolated and cut off from everything. The Landing is in a prime location with access views to freindship fountain, three bridges, and most of the southbank. Beautiful at night.
Sportmotor
July 29, 2009, 08:02:42 PMInside The Park View Inn: http://www.metrojacksonville.com/content/view/344/117/
I got about 50+ pictures of my time exploring that, that was much fun
Omarvelous09
July 29, 2009, 08:13:21 PMI'd love to see an aquarium, or some kind of public attraction....but doubt if anything ever happens with it.
BridgeTroll
July 30, 2009, 08:26:13 AMCheck out the oil or fuel pollution coming from the plant...
Dog Walker
July 30, 2009, 08:47:05 AMWas the assembly plant built on the riverfront because the parts came in by barge? I presume that the assembled trucks went out by rail or under their own power. Were other Ford assembly plants also built on the water?
My father was in his teens during Prohibition and lived just off Tallyrand. He told stories of brewing up homemade wine, putting the bottles in a red wagon and selling it to the workers at this plant during their lunch break. He bought his first, very used, car with the proceeds.
Overstreet
July 30, 2009, 09:05:43 AMI know of some due diligence investigation into turning this into loft apartments, but I think it died. It is just too burried into the Talleyrand industrial area.
ChriswUfGator
July 30, 2009, 12:11:34 PMYeah that's the thing, because of it's location I can't imagine anybody wanting to live there. The whole area is heavy industrial. If the entire zone were tackled and converted at once, that might work, but I can't see anybody buying an apartment next to factories and shipping centers.
904Scars
August 17, 2009, 11:03:09 AMI personally think it would make a great Jax / North FL historical museum. Throw some old planes from the airfield, some old trains from the old station, and some old Fords from the plant along with thousands of photos and any and all historical items from Jax. Maybe a section devoted to the fire etc etc. Would make a great tourist attraction (though we don't get much, we always complain there is nothing for them to do).
billy
January 03, 2010, 06:05:45 PMWhat does the current Folio article say might happen with the property?
I don't have access to the article.
Ocklawaha
January 03, 2010, 10:44:20 PMBeing one of the explorers, my opinion is that it will be torn down. It's certainly not what I would want and the building is grand indeed, but it is buried. No matter what the "urban" use, the buyer or developer would have to buy out everything in front of it all the way to Talleyrand. There would almost have to be redevelopment of the Commodore Point area for Urban, Retail and Residential uses. At one time the streetcar line had 3 routes to Talleyrand, putting this in the middle of a historical area.
The negatives are that it is FAR from the downtown core, not walkable, hidden, not easily accessable, in a very industrially blighted neighborhood, along side a major expressway bridge, and MAYBE in the path of bridge or tunnel construction...
Other then that, it's beautiful.
OCKLAWAHA
thelakelander
January 04, 2010, 12:31:38 AMIts got river frontage, rail access and surrounded by industrial warehousing and maritime uses. My prediction is that if it doesn't eventually fall down, it will be filled with an industrial/maritime related use. Btw, I attended a public workshop last month where the owners requested a land use change back to industrial (a decade or so ago the land use was changed to allow for lofts).
thelakelander
January 06, 2010, 02:53:49 PMThis email was just sent to Metro Jacksonville and I'd thought I'd share the link. The image is pretty impressive.
I have a web page containing a full size image of a 9 x 40 photograph of all the employees standing in front of the plant. It is at: http://www.woodenshipsironmen.com/Ford.htm
J. G. (Jerry) Braddock Sr
http://www.woodenshipsironmen.com/Bradhome.htm
billy
January 06, 2010, 02:57:36 PMIncredible photo.
I wonder what the wooden structure to the south was?
untarded
January 06, 2010, 02:59:27 PMFantastic image!!
Dog Walker
January 06, 2010, 04:07:52 PMWow! I had always heard that the plant was for Model T & A pickup trucks. Obviously not! If the plant opened in 1928, then my father was 18 or 19 when he started selling homemade wine to the workers. Naughty boy!
BridgeTroll
January 06, 2010, 04:57:35 PMVery cool!
BridgeTroll
January 06, 2010, 05:06:57 PMModel T
Model A
stjr
January 06, 2010, 05:39:25 PMGreat photo. It brings to life an old building and shows just how great these buildings could look if restored to their "like new" condition. Lot's of potential. Would be criminal to lose it. I wonder if Ford would have any interest in partnering in its preservation. Maybe a "Ford Museum -South" for part of the building. Would be a great marketing tool.
ftrosset
January 22, 2010, 06:12:44 PMDoes anyone know who currently owns this building? I can not find it on the GIS map, the lot is there, but no building number or anything like that. I am interested in possibly buying the building but have had a hard time finding much info about it.
Thank you
stjr
January 23, 2010, 01:17:44 AMThank you
ftrosset, welcome to MJ.
Per the property tax rolls, the owner is:
HILL STREET LLC
P O BOX 1851
BAINBRIDGE, GA 39818
Property Site Address currently is shown as:
1900 WAMBOLT ST
Jacksonville FL 32202
Official Record Book/Page
10149-01373
I guess Wambolt St. was once called Hill Street since the MJ article says that's the historic address and the property owner references the same name.
According to the deed, Hill Street is a Florida corporation. Per Florida's Division of Corporations:
DAWS, SONYA K
2878 REMINGTON GREEN CIRCLE
TALLAHASSEEE FL 32308 US
Name Changed: 10/11/2006
Address Changed: 01/27/2009
Manager/Member Detail
Name & Address
Title MGRM
REDMOND, N.D. JR.
1709 SHOTWELL ST.
BAINBRIDGE GA 39818
I guess if you can't find a phone number, you can send a letter to one of the addresses above and hope they answer.
Good luck. Let us know how it turns out.
billy
January 23, 2010, 02:00:12 AMI have some information if you are interested...
billy
January 23, 2010, 02:08:14 AMare you associated with UNF?
longhaul
March 15, 2010, 09:29:09 PMAccording to Jacksonville’s Future Land Use Map (FLUM) Amendment (2/5/10):
“In 1999, William Stephenson, on behalf the Rowe Corporation, filed a land use amendment for the subject site to change its land use designation from WD/WR to GDC in order to accommodate a mixed use project including residential lofts. The PUD for the subject site in 1999 was never filed, and the mixed use project was never developed. As such, the subject site has been out of compliance with the current industrial use of the property, having a land use amendment attempts to remedy the compliance issue and return the subject site to its original WD/WR land use category”
The Planning Commission has recommended approval of this “re-change” in land use on 2/5/10.
http://citycirc.coj.net/coj/COJbillDetail.asp?F=2010-0016\Reports