Print ArticleIn the first half of the 20th century, the area that is known as East Bay Street today, was almost wholly industrial- and maritime- related. With the railroad and wharves paralleling a block south, along the riverfront, many firms took advantage of Bay Street's easy access to the St. Johns River. The most important industry during this era was shipbuilding and repair. With the rise of free trade, deindustrialization, and a movement to clean up the downtown waterfront, many industries began to leave the area in the mid-20th century. Although a number of historic warehouses, factories and wharves were left and available for other uses, the majority have been demolished in the later half of the 20th century. With the push to cluster entertainment uses in this section of downtown and the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission's (JEDC) desire to brand the corridor "The E-Town zone," Metro Jacksonville takes a look into the district's past.
An aerial view of East Bay Street and the Merrill-Stevens Dry Dock & Repair Company in 1941. By this time, the East Bay shipyard included the largest dry dock between Newport News, VA and New Orleans, LA.
Shipyard employees working on ties for a ship in 1946.
The Boat "Spindletop" being christened at Merrill-Stevens Dry Dock and Repair Company in 1946.
Overlooking Merrill-Stevens Dry Dock and Repair Company (Jacksonville Shipyards) in 1946. The curved warehouse to the left is the present site of Berkman Plaza.
The four piers at the Shipyards site are all that remain along an urban waterfront that was once continuously lined with them.
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