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Southeast Quadrant
Fire Station #2, at 4th & Main, has been in continuous operation since 1909.
The Mattie V. Rutherford Middle School Alternative Education Center was originally known as Springfield Elementary School and was one of the first schools in the neighborhood. A fixture on the corner of 5th & Hubbard since 1917, the school is named after Mattie V. Rutherford, who served as the Principal for 34 years.
A significant portion of Springfield's residential building stock was originally designed as multifamily structures to cater to the area's rapid population growth after the Great Fire of 1901. If you look hard enough, several examples still remain in pretty solid condition.
The Lauderdale Apartments have graced the corner of 2nd and Market Streets since 1912.
These three massive apartment buildings, at 1623 Liberty Street, were completed in 1931.
Walnut Street
Walnut Street was once a streetcar corridor. Here, early forms of transit oriented development are present in the form of commercial buildings three blocks away from the Main Street corridor.
Northeast Quadrant
Standing at 8th & Market, the Halsema Building was constructed for Julien C. Halsema in 1911.
This building once housed the Duval Laundry Company. Duval Laundry was incorporated by Richard P. McFarlin on Monday, February 17, 1902. Like many industrial buildings in the neighborhood, the building's brick detailing and window patterns give it a unique feel in a city characterized by stucco, metal buildings and tilt wall construction.
Kirby-Smith Middle School is one of the few Mediterranean Revival style buildings in Springfield. Identical to John Gorrie, in Riverside, the school opened in 1924. The school is named after a Civil War Confederate officer from St. Augustine.
One of Jacksonville's most unique adaptive reuse projects, 1951 Market Lofts was once Corinne Scott Elementary School. The school served Springfield from 1924 to 1991.
Vanderleigh Antiques, located on East 10th St, is a great example of a warehouse live/work adaptive reuse.
Northeast Quadrant: Springfield Warehouse District
Springfield is home to one of Jacksonville's most compact historic industrial districts. Centered along the S-Line, if JTA gets their commuter rail plans off the ground, they could be the catalyst for transforming this district into a place dominated by lofts, art galleries, cultural and entertainment uses commonly seen in more progressive communities.
The former Coca-Cola bottling plant at 14th & Market awaiting a new use.
This building went without a roof for over a decade before being converted into lofts a year ago.
During the warehouse district's heyday, the area was home to the Dorsey Company Bakery and a Merita Bread bakery. With a large number of baking industry workers in Springfield, this building was constructed at 11th & Liberty to house a bakery union.
A close up look at the wall of the Tison-Demar Woodworks. Tison-Demar manufactures custom built cabinets in the heart of the warehouse district at 14th & Market.
Now a part of Kirby-Smith Middle School, this structure was originally built in 1914, as the Dorsey Company Bakery. In 1926, it was one of the largest bakeries in the Southeast, the home of Florida's only traveling oven and produced over 100,000 loaves of bread a day. It was said to be one of Jacksonville's most handsome industrial buildings.
This warehouse was designed by famed architect Albert Kahn in 1929. It was built for the Chevrolet Motor Company and used as a district office and parts warehouse from 1929 to 1958.
Old rail sidings between the back of warehouses are common in the warehouse district. These linear corridors represent a future opportunity for linear parks or pedestrian promenades that connect various properties. The potential for concepts like this to become reality can not happen in most of Jacksonville because the history and built environment that facilitates these concepts simply don't exist.
Northwest Quadrant
The Beulah Beal Elementary School opened in 1911. The West Riverside Elementary School was constructed at the same time with identical plans.
St. Mary's Episcopal Church was completed in 1912 at 1918 North Laura Street.
Completed in 1923, the Old Holy Rosary Catholic Church is one of the last remaining examples of Romanesque Revival style architecture in Jacksonville.
Located at 2212 Pearl Street, the K&G Box Company produces packaging boxes for the medical, electronics, automotive, publishing, manufacturing, pharmaceutical and food industries. The company operates as a subsidiary of Atlanta's Stronghaven, Inc.
Many make the mistake of thinking about the historic district in terms of only single family housing. However, throughout Springfield, there are several residential streets like W. 11th Street that are also dominated by historic multi-family housing. The dense presence of multifamily uses are a key ingrediant in Springfield being a walkable urban community.
Shands Jacksonville
Shands Jacksonville serves as an economic anchor for the community.
Quote
Shands Jacksonville was created in 1999 when Gainesville, Fla.-based Shands HealthCare purchased two adjacent medical facilities in Jacksonville - University Medical Center and Methodist Medical Center.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shands_Jacksonville
The lineage of the hospital can be traced back to 1870 when Jacksonville's first hospital and Florida's first non-military hospital, Duval Hospital and Asylum, was established at the corner of Jessie and Franklin Streets in downtown Jacksonville. The original tiny building was known as the "poor house."
1901 - George A. Brewster Hospital and School of Nurse Training, which later became Methodist Hospital, opened to care for victims of the Great Fire of 1901
1926 - Duval Hospital and Asylum renamed to Duval County Hospital.
1948 - Duval County Hospital became Duval Medical Center (DMC), called the "nation's oldest publicly supported hospital"
1963 - Florida Legislature created the Duval County Hospital Authority to facilitate the construction of a new hospital and manage the DMC
1964 - Duval County medical and governmental leaders successfully lobbied for the passage of a $20 million dollar bond issue. Planning began for a new hospital to double the existing facility
1966 - Brewster Hospital and School of Nurse Training closed
1967 - Brewster Hospital moved to Jefferson and Eighth Street, the current location of Shands Jacksonville, and reopened as the not-for-profit Methodist Hospital
1971 - DMC moved to a new eight story, $27 million, 485-bed, state-of-the-art medical facility across the street from Methodist Hospital and changed its name to University Hospital
1982 - University Hospital became a private, not-for-profit facility and contracted with the city of Jacksonville to provide care for the uninsured
1983 - University Hospital opened the first Level I trauma center in Florida
1985 – University Hospital was designated an affiliate of the University of Florida. TraumaOne, their helicopter ambulance service, began operations
1988 – University Hospital was designated the Jacksonville campus for the UF Health Science Center
1989 – University Hospital was renamed University Medical Center (UMC)
1993 - Methodist Hospital was renamed Methodist Medical Center (MMC)
1999 - UMC and MMC were purchased by Shands HealthCare and merged to become Shands Jacksonville
2006 - The University of Florida opened the UF Proton Therapy Institute on the Shands Jacksonville campus
Southwest Quadrant
The Karpeles Manuscript Museum is the present use of a structure that was originally built for the First Church of Christ Scientist in 1921.
This Bethel Baptist Church sanctuary was built to replace what had been destroyed by the Great Fire of 1901. Once directly served by a streetcar line, Bethel is an important link between Springfield and Downtown.
Adjacent to Klutho Park, the old State Board of Health Building was completed in 1911. Before the building was constructed, the land was known as Raspberry Park and used as a city jail.
8th & Main
For most of Springfield's existence, the intersection of 8th and Main has served as the historic district's central business district.
Photos by Ennis Davis and Daniel Herbin
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Springfielder
November 06, 2009, 06:27:57 AMThis gives a nice pictorial overview of the neighborhood, showing how diverse it is, not to mention how beautiful it is.
billy
November 06, 2009, 06:52:12 AMSo much potential.
sheclown
November 06, 2009, 07:22:30 AMgreat photos, thanks for reminding us of all of our spaces
Wacca Pilatka
November 06, 2009, 08:36:10 AMThis is a terrific photo essay even by the usual very high standards of Ennis and Dan.
Where is the building pictured immediately below Kirby-Smith located? I don't believe I've seen it before.
mtraininjax
November 06, 2009, 08:43:28 AMGreat JOB! It really is the prettiest district, when shown in this context. Can you please do Avondale/Riverside next, pretty please with sugar on it?
billy
November 06, 2009, 08:44:00 AMIt is on the northwest corner of Market and Tenth, across the intersection from Corrine Scott/
Market Street Lofts.
JoeMerchant
November 06, 2009, 08:45:27 AM^ I believe that's at the corner of 10th and Market.
sandyshoes
November 06, 2009, 09:47:41 AMWow, gorgeous stuff - it's like a whole different town. And honestly, when I go over there it totally feels different; kind of wraps its arms around you in welcome. Is Old Holy Rosary still currently a Catholic church?
hooplady
November 06, 2009, 09:59:01 AM^^No, Holy Rosary is now a Seventh Day Adventist, I think. Always lots of activity, seems like a nice congregation.
heights unknown
November 06, 2009, 10:11:00 AMAbsolutely beautiful and stunning job. Certainly not the Springfield I knew in the 1980's and early 90's, a change for the better I must say.
Heights Unknown
Springfielder
November 06, 2009, 10:15:23 AMthelakelander
November 06, 2009, 10:20:15 AMIts up next but it may be a week or two before I can get on the bike to take images.
billy
November 06, 2009, 10:25:57 AMIs Duval Laundry currently occupied?
What is it's address?
danno
November 06, 2009, 10:27:36 AMThe inlaws of a friend of mine run a commerical laundry business from there and live on the premises.
Johnny
November 06, 2009, 10:28:40 AMI love our warehouse district, I wish I had a way of jump starting it's revival.
duchessd
November 06, 2009, 11:13:37 AMI love that you took the time to do a photo essay on Historic Springfield. The buildings are magnificent and the neighborhood is lucky to have such great structures! I must admit that I was a bit disappointed that Vanderleigh Antiques on East 10th Street was not included in such an essay. The building was a grocery in the 20's and is now fully restored and functioning as an antique shop. I am hopeful that some in the community enjoy this building as much as I do!
Wacca Pilatka
November 06, 2009, 11:36:35 AMThanks to both you and Billy for the info!
Ocklawaha
November 06, 2009, 11:43:11 AMJust a tad more information on these two great Floridians:
Dr. John Gorrie, was an engineering genius, since the late 1700's it was known that certain ether or volatile chemicals rapidly heated, then cooled, would form ice... and usually an explosion or fire! When Yellow Fever was wiping out the State of Florida, Gorrie was asked to come and join a team of medical, engineering and specialists from various fields on a team gathered in Apalachicola, to solve the plague. Dr. Gorrie, went back to the chemicals, started working with high pressue pumps to create the heat/cool effects he needed and in 1851, POOF, air conditioning. As electricity was still primitive in The War of Yankee Aggression, it is doubtful that the great professor ever got to enjoy fan forced - chilled air, but we all owe him big time! FYI, when the cure was sought, South Africa, Colombia, and Cuban doctors, worked to develop a vaccine. Smallpox, was the first vaccine ever discovered in Spain, in the late 1700's. A Spanish medical expedition with deputy surgeon, José Salvany, went toward today's Colombia and the Viceroyalty of Peru. They took seven years and the toils of the voyage brought death to Salvany at Cochabamba. Doctor Manuel Elkin Patarroyo, from the university of Bogota, would discover the first highly successful vaccine for maliria. (told you we have good medicine in Colombia and it's air conditioned too!)
Edmond Kirby Smith, was born in St. Augustine, and studied in West Point, becoming a US Army Major in the Indian wars, mostly in Texas. When Texas left the Union in 1861, Smith refused to surrendered to State Forces, telling them he would fight them with his command first. A few days later, he resigned his commission following proper channels, and was recruited into the Confederate States officers corps. He led regiments, brigades and finally divisions with Jackson, in the Shenandoah Valley. Promoted to Brig. General he led the Confederate Army's in a successful rout of the Federals in Kentucky, battle of Richmond. After the fall of Vicksburg, Smith was assigned the Confederate Department of the Trans-Mississippi, total command of everything west of the River. Given the make up of these forces, a strange mix of seasoned soldiers, French Cajun, African American business and plantation owners, Bushwhacker's, Mexican, Cowboy's, and the Cherokee Mounted Rifles, he was really more successful then historians generally record. The last Confederate to surrender his command (not including the Confederate Navy which would fight on for 6 more months) on May 26, 1865, and arrived in Galveston, Texas, on June 2, whence he fled to exile in Mexico and then to Cuba.
Just an idea, but a story on our named schools might be cool, if anyone besides me cares.
OCKLAWAHA
Overstreet
November 06, 2009, 12:30:43 PMDr Gorrie's air conditioning was to hand a block of ice in a suspended bowl above the patient and let convection currents coming off the ice fall and cool the patient. The system was not practical. The big invention was the steam powered ice maker that made the ice.
A while later fellow named Carrier modified it and made the systems we are familiar now.
You can visit the Dr Gorrie museum in Apalachicola.
http://www.floridastateparks.org/johngorriemuseum/default.cfm
chris farley
November 06, 2009, 12:43:34 PMThe hall of statuary in Washington DC allows two statues per state. There are only 98 such statues since two states (I have forgotten which) have only placed one.
The two statues from Florida are of Gorrie and Kirby-Smith, both done by noted sculptor C. Adrian Pillars, who did the Dillon fountain in Klutho Park and The Life Statue in Riverside memorial park, this one put in the park in 1924 as a war memorial. Florida and especially Springfield are well represented in the Statuary Hall
thelakelander
November 06, 2009, 12:45:53 PMThe day I took the images, there were too many people outside of the building. Since its inconsiderate to snap close up shots of people, I decided to pass.
sandyshoes
November 06, 2009, 01:23:02 PMJust an idea, but a story on our named schools might be cool, if anyone besides me cares. [/color] [/b]
OCKLAWAHA
[/quote]
Heck, yeah! Great idea.
sandyshoes
November 06, 2009, 01:24:52 PMWheeeeee, I'm not Newbie anymore....and now, back to Thread.
cybertique
November 06, 2009, 01:30:11 PMFantastic pictures, really enjoyed this trip down memory lane.
untarded
November 06, 2009, 01:33:48 PMHere is a link to Vanderleigh's website with some pics of the building on east 10th. I believe it is mixed use with upstairs residential. Definitely another great building.
Lake what about some of your work on W 6th(?)
untarded
November 06, 2009, 01:35:10 PMand Main St. is so close to completion we can taste it!!! When did it begin, 2000?
stephendare
November 06, 2009, 01:35:39 PMWe are also working on a photo shoot of the amazing interior of Vanderleigh's .
Veronica and I toured the awesome building a couple of days ago, and its just brilliant.
Crazily, I had no idea the place was there, nor how cool it is.
Lunican
November 06, 2009, 01:55:47 PMVanderleigh's has been added to the article.
JoeMerchant
November 06, 2009, 02:12:58 PMFantastic place, and I had to purchase one of his teak benches, made out of reclaimed teak from an old Asian railroad car, a couple years ago.
Its a hidden gem over there, love his vinyl laminated wood floor upstairs, looks and feels like the real thing, old wooden floors.
Wacca Pilatka
November 06, 2009, 03:01:07 PMDoes anyone know if Vanderleigh's carries any antiques or artifacts that are specific to Jacksonville or old Jacksonville businesses?
Thanks to everyone for all the historical and other information upthread. I can't wait to tour 10th St. now on my next visit to town.
Ocklawaha
November 06, 2009, 07:10:56 PMWhere did this information come from Overstreet my friend? It is not correct according to my history texts, which credit Gorrie as the first truely successful AC guy.
Ocklawaha
ChriswUfGator
November 06, 2009, 07:51:38 PMThat's not really true.
Gorrie did originally start off hanging blocks of ice in hospitals, yes. But later, he invented the first mechanical refrigeration system ever created, and was granted Patent No. 8080 for it in 1851. I'm assuming this is what Ock is referring to.
Willis Carrier wasn't even born until 1876, a full 25 years after Gorrie had already invented mechanical refrigeration. So any suggestion that Carrier is the true inventor is pure myth, as you can quickly discover yourself, when you realize that Gorrie's 1851 Patent No. 8080 for mechanical refrigeration was granted a full 25 years before Carrier was even born, let alone manufacturing air conditioners. That would be some feat! I can't picture a bunch of sperm manufacturing an AC unit.
So it wasn't just ice suspended from a ceiling, he actually did create the first machine that used the evaporation and condensation properties, of brine solution as ock mentioned, together with mechanical pumps, to create refrigeration. Others had thought up the theory before, but Carrier was the first to actually do it. And Carrier simply carried forward with Gorrie's creation. Gorrie was a doctor, and was concerned solely with cooling hospitals and making ice for patients. I doubt it ever occurred to him to use his invention to cool private homes. Carrier, on the other hand, saw that potential.
So I guess you could say Carrier was definitely the better business man.
Keith-N-Jax
November 06, 2009, 08:03:35 PMGreat article!!! So many improvements. The potenial in Jax is amazing
billy
November 07, 2009, 10:21:50 AMAre the Lauderdale Apartments occupied at present?
It looks like the windows are boarded up.
billy
November 07, 2009, 10:26:29 AMAlso what is the building above the photo of Waafa and Mikes?
Is that the old Jewish Community Center?
What is the address?
Springfielder
November 07, 2009, 10:33:21 AMkrazeeboi
November 07, 2009, 11:27:24 AMGreat neighborhood with really good bones. Thanks for the tour.
halimeade
November 07, 2009, 04:49:45 PMIt's so nice to see how Springfield has improved over the past 10 years. My brother used to get bussed out to Kirby-Smith for the magnet program when we were kids, and I HATED to have to go out there. Private yards with 6 ft. tall fences and barbed wire make a big impression on a young kid that it wasn't a place I wanted to be. Plus the arson across the street from the school. It was scary.
Anyway, all of you who live in Springfield and love it have really made the difference, and I wish you all continued success.
stjr
November 07, 2009, 11:58:28 PMThese are great pictures and good info. A wonderful tour.
It's hard to believe all this is in Jax. It shows how much untapped potential we have. If only the City leaders could get it.
Imagine if we took just a fraction of the hundreds of millions for 9B, the billions for the Outer Beltway, and the wasted millions on the $ky-high-way and invested them in connecting grids of street car systems in Springfield, Downtown, Riverside/Avondale, and San Marco what we could do with our historic infrastructure. It's so obvious, you have to wonder why our community hasn't figured out how to make it happen. Sad and many lost opportunities (and jobs!).
zoo
November 08, 2009, 02:40:14 PMAgreed. 9B is completely unnecessary, dilutes resources that could strengthen our regional core, and continues the disastrous development pattern favored in Jax (sprawl!)
When it comes to urban core revitalization, organic, neighborhood-level economic growth is completely ignored in favor of the knight-in-armor-delivered mega-development projects.
b real
November 09, 2009, 09:35:23 AMthe springfield warehouse district could one day be like Castleberry Hill in ATL. that area has great potential.
b real
November 09, 2009, 09:39:46 AMoh and Vanderleigh's is an awesome place...if you are in the area i would recommend visiting them.
Noone
October 13, 2010, 05:01:33 AMAwesome job. The Fab 4. The MJ 4. You can take this show on the road and pack an Auditorium. I'd pay.
KuroiKetsunoHana
October 13, 2010, 02:03:06 PMthelakelander
November 12, 2010, 11:36:11 PMThe S-Line through the Springfield Warehouse District in 1943.
Barbara
June 21, 2011, 02:17:42 AMWe lived at the corner of 11th and Market St. when we came back South-my grandmother had a boarding house on that corner that was torn down and the area is now a parking lot. Under the picture of the Cola Cola plant - I think that building was right across from us on 11th and Market and at the time in 1954 was a bar-and I recall the owner killing a huge turtle and making turtle soup on the property. I attended 10th and Market Street elementary school from 1954 - 1957 and then went on to Kirby Smith. I do not recall the year that 10th and Market Street School became Corrine Scott however Miss Scott was the principal there for many more years and she was quite old when I went there. She was never married. I seem to recall her passing away in the 60's or early 70's. I am not sure. I am now 68 years old and I walked most all of Springfield. I lived at the corner of 4th and Silver Street as a bride of 19. Also at the corner of 8th and Boulevard where much of Shands is located was a hospital called "St.Lukes" I am not sure when St.Lukes was built but I was born there in 1943. I know much about several of the buildings shown above but would like to know the location before commenting on them.Maybe one day soon I will ride over that way (I live in Georgia) and take some picture and add them here with some history of what I know about some of them. There was some great teachers at Corrine Scott and Kirby Smith-I also attended Andrew Jackson.
I will always remember Miss Scott- a soft spoken, slender, tiny lady who will always be one of my fondest memories of my youth. I wish more Springfield people from long ago would post on here and speak of the past.
Barbara
June 21, 2011, 02:20:36 AMWhen I tried to join I got the answer wrong to the question "Who is the mayor of Jacksonville?".
I entered Brown but I had to re-enter Peyton to get approved.
Just a little Fyi.
thelakelander
June 21, 2011, 06:46:25 AMBrown's term won't officially start until July 1, so that particular question is probably confusing right now since Peyton is a sitting duck for the next two weeks.
BridgeTroll
June 21, 2011, 06:50:40 AMWelcome Barbara... Hope to hear more stories of the Springfield area...