Established in 1866 to educate newly freed slaves, Edward Waters College is Florida's oldest independent college and first historically black university.   Its also Jacksonville's only university to fully embrace the idea of an urban campus that opens up and embraces it's context, instead of turning it's back to the surrounding community.

EWC was originally founded as the Brown Theological Institution in 1866.  In the years that would follow, the name was changed to Brown University, then East Florida Conference High School, before finally being called Edward Waters College in 1892.  Currently, 839 students are enrolled in the school, which sits on 21 acres of land in Durkeeville.  

EDWARD WATERS COLLEGE PHOTO TOUR 

3. Lee Cousins Building (B.F. Lee Theological Seminary Building - yb. 1925)

6. Tookes Building

10. Student Union Building

11. Centennial Building (yb. 1916)

17. Susie Tolbert House

18. Community Resource Center

9. Hatcher-Stewart Building

John Hurst Adams & Jimmy R. Jenkins Community Sports & Music Center (Kings Rd @ Spires Avenue)

The college has been a driving force in the effort to revitalize the surrounding urban community.  This new 50,000sf facility is part of those efforts.  This structure is the first of many that will make up the Edward Waters College Athletic Center.  Others proposed include a 10,000 seat football stadium and an Aqua Sports Center with an Olympic-size swimming pool.

1. Morris-Cone Residential Complex

KINGS ROAD COMMERCIAL CORRIDOR

This commercial corridor  is filled with several small shops and buildings that were constructed in an era before the suburban strip center become dominant.  Edward Waters College's campus sits in the heart of the Kings Road commercial strip.

If you're tired of the Olive Gardens and Cheesecake Factories of the world and would like to try a little local cuisine, this strip still has a few, such as JC's Soul Food (shown above) and Jenkins BBQ.

This building at 1491 Kings Road was originally constructed as a Gulf Refining Co. service station in 1926.  This small Prairie-style structure is only one of several interesting commercial buildings still standing along Kings Road.

Kings Road, looking towards downtown from Edward Waters College, on a rainy Saturday morning. 

A vacant commercial structure and church, side by side.  While many may see nothing other than grit in these pictures, they really show the potential this corridor has for a grassroots revival.   Because these structures still stand, it's easier for businesses, such as JC's Soul Food, to come and set up shop.

EDWARD WATERS COLLEGE URBAN MASTER PLAN

As stated earlier, Edward Waters is a major player and influence on the revitalization of this section of town.  The college's master plan provides a blueprint for restoring this historic urban corridor.

Future plans, include expanding the college along Kings Road and improving the highway to become more pedestrian friendly.

The eventual heart of the college campus will be Heritage Plaza.  To achieve this vision, the current student union building would be replaced by one that will bring vibrant pedestrian activity to Kings Road.

The Susie Tolbert House, is named for Susie Ella Middelton Tolbert.  Ms. Tolbert was active in the civic, educational, and religious affairs of the community.  Future plans involve renovating the structure to live on as an important landmark of the campus and
serve as a Community Preservation learning laboratory.

The laboratory will be utilized as an internship center where EWC students will gain experience in historic developments in inner city neighborhoods, knowledge in research
methodology, public speech, and use of development software.

This rendering shows the college's desire to inspire infill housing in the dense community surrounding the college that is normally left out of discussions about downtown and inner core neighborhoods such as Five Points and Springfield.  While Edward Waters may be a fairly small university, it is Jacksonville's only true urban campus and Durkeeville residents and activists should definitely use it to their advantage.

Before & After:  This illustration gives viewers an idea of how the expanded college campus and pedestrian improvements will change the look and feel of Kings Road.







Campus Walk is a key element of the master plan.  These illustrations provide conceptual examples of how the college will embrace Kings Road, instead of turning it's back to the street and the surrounding urban environment.

It's also something that fits well with the idea of using the S-Line corridor for regional rapid mass transit, instead of I-95.  The S-Line/Myrtle Avenue area is about a ten minute walk from the college campus.  A potential transit station there could serve as the east anchor point of a revitalized pedestrian friendly commerical district along Kings, between the college and a transit system that could link and reconnect the area with the rest of town.