Exploring the Westbrook Commercial District
A few weeks ago, our Forgotten Jacksonville series exposed the beauty of Westside's Westbrook Park. Today, we explore a few blocks Southwest of the park: The Westbrook Commercial District.
A view of the entrance of the Lovett's Food Store at 614 North McDuff Avenue in 1947. Lovett Food stores were owned and operated by the Winn & Lovett Grocery Company. In 1925, Idaho-native William Davis purchased Rockmoor Grocery in Miami. He later purchased the Lively Stores (1931) and the Winn & Lovett stores (1939), a name his sons used as their company name. In 1944, the Winn & Lovett Company headquartered in Jacksonville. In 1955, they merged with Dixie Home Store to form Winn-Dixie Supermarkets. Image courtesy of Robert Fisher Collection and the State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, https://floridamemory.com/items/show/167336
Jacksonville is a city with a diverse collection of neighborhoods and business districts. The diversity is really evident within the limits of the 30 square mile boundaries of the pre-consolidated city and especially the Westside.
The railroad and the Great Fire of 1901 played a significant role in the rapid development of the Westside during the early 20th century. With the massive Seaboard Air Line Shops and Terminals as an employment anchor and a streetcar line connecting it to downtown, Lackawanna boomed to life during the first decade of the 1900s. Responding to this growth on what was literally the edge of town, Westbrook was platted in 1911, on the other side of the tracks from the railyard. A compact community by design, the 20-block development included a linear park following the path of Three-Mile Branch, forming its north and east edges. Paralleling the railroad to the south, industrial uses formed the neighborhood's south border, while McDuff Avenue served as the west border.
Long before the Westbrook plat, the Old Spanish Trail, then known as Enterprise Street, and now Beaver Street, served as the major conduit between Jacksonville and Florida's Panhandle. Naturally, as Westbrook developed from a rural community into an urban neighborhood, the properties straddling the thoroughfare became heavily commercial district. Just a quarter mile walk north of the Jacksonville Traction Company's streetcar line terminus in Lackawanna, there was also easy and reliable connectivity to downtown.
With growth and development in the area benefiting from the Florida Land Boom, some of the earliest commercial buildings in Westbrook began to rise during the 1920s. By World war II, a full blown retail district, complete with its own movie theatre, comparable in scale to Riverside's Five Points and Murray Hill's First Block, developed along Beaver Street between McDuff Avenue and Sprague Street.
Yet, unlike those districts which catered primarily to large residential populations, Westbrook's district also served as a centralized commercial zone for nearby industries employing thousands of Jaxsons. As time progressed, this commercial district was negatively impacted by the construction of I-10, siphoning through traffic on Beaver Street, and the closure and relocation of nearby industries.
Time and the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) have not been good to this district. To facilitate traffic movement, Beaver Street is an undivided four-lane road with narrow sidewalks sandwiched by several commercial buildings that were constructed during an era when just as many people walked as those who drove. As a result, most businesses today have entries that are either on the side or in the rear of their properties. The blank wall of aging former storefronts facing Beaver then combine to give a visual impression of blight and abandonment. Furthermore, to accommodate the automobile, several buildings in the district have been razed over the years to serve as parking for the neighboring uses that remain.
Yet, despite all the obstacles this commercial district has faced over the years, it still blossoms with an abundance of local and family owned businesses. Next year, FDOT will have a chance to right many unintentional wrongs, with the reconstruction of Beaver Street through this commercial district. Current plans will add 6-foot sidewalks and an extra foot in width to each of the existing four travel lanes. The reconstruction project is expected to cost $13.25 million. Roughly, $650,000 will be used to acquire needed right-of-way along the constrained roadway. Construction is scheduled to begin in October 2015. With this in mind, we invite our readers to take a visual tour of this commercial district and the history behind it.
The McDuff Street Railroad crossing in 1948. The rear of Lovett's Food Store can be seen on the right. Image courtesy of Spottswood Collection and the State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, https://floridamemory.com/items/show/52963
2366 West Beaver is a six storefront, commercial building dating back to 1929. Several businesses have been located here over the years. A few long time tenants included the Economy Printing Company and Nichols Cleaners. Still in operation, Economy Printing Company is now located in a larger facility at 5067 West 12th Street.
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Since 1932, Economy Printing Company has been a leader in producing top quality printing commodities for all types of businesses throughout the United States. Family owned and operated, Economy Printing Company continues to operate under the premise that good service and top shelf quality are the key to customer satisfaction and retention. If a low price is your ultimate goal, fear not. We offer very competitive pricing to complement our service and quality. The scope of our work is extensive. Anything from color publications to multi-part contracts to embroidery, it is done under one roof. If you are ever in the area, we encourage you to stop by to see our facility.https://www.economyprinting.net/
Gary Johns Automotive Machine
Gary Johns Automotive Machine is located at 2392 West Beaver Street. For many decades, this building was the Hart Brothers Furniture Company.
Premier Meats & Seafood
Because there is no major chain grocery market on Beaver Street, some would refer to this area as being a "food desert". However, this district is dominated by local businesses. While there may not be a 50,000 square foot store, Premier Meats & Seafood anchors this commercial district. Opening at 2385 West Beaver a few years ago, Premier has recently expanded by relocating to 2401 West Beaver Street.
2401 West Beaver was completed in 1945 as Towers Hardware. In recent years, Jaks Hardware Company operated here. Specializing in meat and seafood, Premier's new location provides neighborhood residents with a 9,200 square feet grocery market.
Premier is open seven days per week. For more information: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Premier-Meats-Seafood-2385-W-Beaver-St-Jax-Fl-32209/427526263968739?id=427526263968739&sk=info
R & R Crab House
Completed in 1921, 2420 West Beaver Street is the oldest remaining commercial building in the district. During the 1940's, it was the home of Creed McCain's Billiards. Today, it's R&R Crab House. According to their facebook site, R&R is the place to go for fresh seafood and the offers the best Garlic Crab in town.
Image courtesy of R&R at https://www.facebook.com/RnRArlington/photos/pb.637769322903266.-2207520000.1395451149./637771369569728/?type=3&theater;
The "Haunted" Dixie (Roxy) Theatre
The Roxy Theatre in 1984. Image courtesy of Don Lewis at https://cinematreasures.org/theaters/10600
The Roxy was originally known as the Dixie Theatre when it opened in the late 1940s at 2412 West Beaver Street. The theatre was only 45 wide by 200 feet long. Adjacent storefronts were utilized as a motion picture production lab. The lab was operated by American Productions, Inc., who shot and edited movies such as "Fireball Jungle", starring John Russell. A.G. Sweat was the theatre's manager during the 1950s. Said to be haunted by many, by 1970 the motion picture theatre was showing pornographic movies, such as "Deep Throat". The building and two adjacent storefronts have since been demolished.
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Quote by Troy4u
Oh yea I remember when I worked there in the early 80’s and it was one of the most creepy theatres that I had worked.All the storys of the roxy are true.You could feel someone there in the booth or looking out the projection port holes at you but we could never explain how the projectors and lamphouses would be hot when we would open the next day and the movie would be already half way ran through and before we put our key in the front door to open for the day you could hear the movie playing and there was only one way in & out of the booth. I would have to put in new carbon rods & rewind the movie before the show despite the impatient customers.
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Quote by Troy4u
I hated so badly to stay there at night all alone when I had to build up and break down movies.Beleave me I had every light on in the joint but anyway I was there one night and closed the place down to lock it up say oh about 1:00am and went in the booth and locked myself in to get things done and get the heck out of there and all of a sudden something or someone was trying to jimmy the booth door open but to no avail.This went on for about 5 minutes and they would not say anything and I had about enough of this so I opened the door and no one was there.I checked the whole building (with a baseball bat) but to no avail.They sure did seem to be ticked off about it.
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Quote by Troy Powellhttps://cinematreasures.org/theaters/10600/comments
It was very common for patrons to complain that a woman would sit beside them out of thin air and start talking about old movies that played there. I prescreened a movie one late night with witnesses and we had the same problem on a constant basis. Did she die there?
The site of the Roxy (Dixie) Theatre today
2421 (left) & 2417 (right) West Beaver Street
2421 West Beaver dates back to 1930 and 2417 West Beaver was completed in 1938. 2421 Beaver was originally the Piggly Wiggly Company before becoming the Wild Cat Grocery (1940) and then the Daylight Grocery Company (1950). In 1940, the Sanitary Cafe Restaurant was one of the early tenants of 2417 West Beaver. By 1960, Moody Furniture Company (2421) and Hart Furniture Company (2417) were the occupants. Now demolished, the space between 2417 West Beaver and Premier Meats was a used furniture store called Scotty's Trading Post.
Blackmon's Kitchen
2426 West Beaver Street was completed in 1928. For many years, two storefront building was home to Newton Davis barber shop and Beaver cleaners. Today, the building lives on as Blackmon's Kitchen, serving soul food daily. Chitterlings, Smothered Pork Chops, Meatloaf, Fried Chicken, Hamburgers & Fries all served at affordable prices.
Milligan's Beefy Burgers & the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company
Only building foundations remain on the north east corner of the Beaver Street and McDuff Avenue intersection. However, the tenants of the razed buildings once anchored this buzzing early 20th century business district.
Milligan's Beefy Burgers, Florida's first fast food drive through hamburger chain, operated a restaurant at the busy intersection. Many long time Jaxsons viewed Milligan's as our own home grown version of "Krystal" and "White Castle." However, 1974 would be the last year beefy burgers would be available to Jaxons. By the end of the year, Florida's first fast food chain had succumbed to heavy competition from rapidly growing McDonald's and Burger King.
Next door, the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company (A&P) operated a grocery market. A few blocks down the street, For decades, A&P's Southeastern headquarters, which included a bakery, coffee plant, dry storage warehouse, and produce packing operations were located a few blocks east at the Jacksonville Farmer's Market. Beaver Street Fisheries operates out of A&P's old site today.
Mary Ann's Golden Fried Chicken
Many may not know the history of this walkable commercial district but if one has driven down Beaver, they may have noticed Mary Ann's Golden Fried Chicken on the corner of Beaver Street and McDuff Avenue. A form of adaptive reuse, the restaurant's building dates back to 1926. During the height of the Florida Land Boom, the building was constructed as Edward V. Evans' filling station.
Pirate's Grill
715 McDuff Avenue has been standing on this site since 1937. In 1950, it was Pace's Barber Shop. Today, it's home of Pirate's Grill restaurant.
609 McDuff Avenue
Marion L. Patterson Liquors was located at 609 McDuff Avenue in 1950. It is now the Pony Showbar.
Image courtesy of Pony Showbar at https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-PONY-Showbar/161550393942710
617 McDuff Avenue
617 McDuff Avenue is one of the last mixed-use buildings still standing in the Westbrook district. Located one block south of Beaver Street, at the intersection of McDuff Avenue and Edwards Avenue, the structure was completed in 1925. In 1950, the first floor was occupied by Lonnie Z. Bailey Grocery. Mr. Bailey and his family lived above the store.
Aerial of the Westbrook plat's commercial district today.
Historic Sanborn Map of commercial district. Buildings highlighted in yellow still stand today. Buildings highlighted in green have been demolished.
Article by Ennis Davis, AICP. Contact Ennis at edavis@moderncities.com