Jacksonville History Center releases 2024 Endangered Historic Properties list
The Jacksonville History Center presented its 2024 Endangered Historic Properties list at a brown bag lunch event on Wednesday, May 22 at Old St. Andrew’s Church.
The annual list highlights the historic structures in Jacksonville that are at risk of being lost to the community. This year, the list consists of more than 25 structures. Jacksonville History Center CEO Alan Bliss said he was encouraged by the number of people who attended this year’s lunch event, held every May in recognition of National Historic Preservation Month.
“It’s encouraging, too, that this audience and the larger community seems increasingly to understand that preserving old buildings and historic sites and structures is not just about nostalgia,” he said.
There are two reasons, Bliss said, for advocating to preserve these historic structures for the Jacksonville community. One is for the tangible connection they provide, serving as the bridge between the residents of today and the events and stories of the past.
“The other reason is because historic structures lend authenticity to a place and authenticity adds value,” he said. “And that strengthening of authentic identity in Jacksonville is important.”
While the Laura Street Trio tops the list as its “most endangered,” other notable structures include nine “endangered” schools, including Atlantic Beach, West Riverside, Fishweir and Ortega elementary schools.
“Our public schools are the treasure in our community if you think about it,” said Dr. Wayne Wood, who serves on the endangered sites committee responsible for creating the list. “They were built back in the teens and ‘20s when there were major building efforts and there was a large budget to build schools that weren’t just buildings to house kids, but they were beautiful architecturally. The finest architects in our city designed them, and now they’re on the verge of being thrown away.”
A newcomer to the list this year is the Scottish Rite Masonic Temple on Hubbard Street, which has remained under the same ownership since it was built in the 1920s. While the building is still in use by the Masons, the building itself needs extensive repairs.
“I can’t give them money,” Bliss said, “But I can give them attention.”
The list also includes success stories of restored, renovated and adaptively reused buildings. Some of them are familiar transformations, including the Haydon Burns Library (now the Jessie Ball duPont Center), the First National Bank (now the Cowford Chophouse) and the Seminole Club (now home to Sweet Pete’s candy company and a restaurant).
Bliss said he’s grateful for the Jacksonville community’s “increasing interest” in the stories, events and people of its past.
“It’s encouraging that people take seriously the importance of the value of historic preservation,” he said. “It’s important to what we do and I’m grateful for all the public support for it.
