Placemaking at its Best: Reimaging Historic Eastside

Debs Store, as it looked from its opening in 1921 until the 1980s.

More than 150 years after the community’s inception, the Eastside is Jacksonville’s last cohesive, historically Black neighborhood from the 19th century. Historic Eastside is probably best defined by “The Avenue,” […]

Celebrating a Legacy in Black Philanthropy

A.L. Lewis is featured alongside other famous black leaders with Jacksonville roots in the mural titled, "Locals and Legends," painted by artists from the Jacksonville Cultural Development Corporation.

Abraham Lincoln Lewis was born on March 29, 1865, in Madison County, Florida, roughly two hours due west of Jacksonville. His family later moved to Jacksonville in 1876, where Lewis […]