Downtown: The Hotels of an era gone by

[Metro Jacksonville]

Downtown: The Hotels of an era gone by



In the early 20th century, downtown was Florida’s premier urban center. The Silent Film industry was booming, jazz and blues joints lined Ashley, the Jacksonville Terminal was the destination point to over 100 passenger trains a day, and Forsyth was the home to a large theater district. There was so much activity that it even had its own red light district along Houston Street. With so many people in the city and no malls or expressways to disperse them, many grand hotels sprang up to serve those wishing to visit the area. Today, Metro Jacksonville takes a moment to share some photographs and brief descriptions of some of the city’s most famous hotels from yesteryear.

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http://www.metrojacksonville.com/content/view/182

[downtownparks]

The digusting part of the Robert Meyer moto-lodge was that they razed the beautiful old Windsor Hotel to build it... It may have been neat-o-keen, for its time, but what I wouldnt give to have back the Windsor, and any of the other hundreds of buildings Jacksonville has seen torn down for nothing more than a parking lot or parking garage.

[Tom]

Thank you Lakelander for directing me to this site. I had no idea the Robert Myer had replaced such a noble establishment as the Windsor. My mom worked at the lunch counter in the drug store that was in the RM when I was a kid.

It seems that the RM has met it's demise as well, maybe some kinda of karmic just in regards to the Windsor? :-)

[HisBuffPVB]

Robert Meyer was on the back side of that block, the Windsor was replaced by JC Penny and Woolworth's. Robert Meyer went through two tours, first as the Meyer, then later as a Holiday Inn. Its rooms were built very small, hard to modernize, and it was looked at one time for downtown senior citizen housing, again rooms to small for that use. Good decision to put the Federal courthouse on that block.