Authentic Jacksonville: The City Market
By the late 19th century, Jacksonville's 31 wharfs were home to piers, warehouses, and other facilities necessary for handling ships. However, the results of the Great Fire of 1901 transformed the wharfs at the foot of Ocean Street into a special place; the type of place that attracts people from all walks of life and one that tourist flock to in the 21st century, when visiting cities like Seattle, San Francisco, and Philadelphia.
Looking for the unique Jacksonville experience? Would you be interested in visiting a downtown riverfront scene with this lineup of vendors?
North Block
Three Bros Fish & Oyster Company
Lawrence Hotel
Kelly Produce Company
Denmark Produce Company
George Shiver Produce Company
Donald McLean Grocery
New York Window Cleaning Company
Jos C. Newsom grocery
National Net & Twine Company Inc.
W.J. Ray & Company Produce
Eugene Vanderpool & Son Fish & Oysters
Deep Sea Fisheries Inc
Wald H. Scmickler Wholsale Fish
Jos Weinberger Restaurant
Mayport Fish & Oyster Company
South Block -- Wharf Over River
Gantt Fish Company
Peninsula Fish & Shrimp Company
Charles Labeces Cigars
Peter C Gounaris Restaurant
William Jigetts Restaurant
Jos Stafford Restaurant
Mary Grant Restaurant
Ocean Street Dock Filling Station
Marine Sales & Service Company
Booth Fisheries Company
Florida Fish & Produce Company Inc.
Palmer Brothers Engines Inc
Jax Machine & Dry Dock Company
Sunshine Parking Place
Wilbur R. Dunkel Auto Repair
Jacksonville Fish Company
Leesburg & Jacksonville Transportation Company
Believe it or not, this was all on Ocean Street, south of Bay Street in downtown Jacksonville in 1930. Some have suggested that the Jacksonville Landing would be best suited for repositioning itself as a public market focusing on local cuisine, businesses, waterfront dining, and entertainment. If things turn out that way, it would not be the site's first time playing host to a public market. For the majority of the city's history, the foot of Ocean Street was just that.
1928 Sanborn Map of Ocean Street market. Courtesy of the Jacksonville Public Library Special Collections Department.
For much of the 19th century, public markets existed along the St. Johns River at the foot of South Ocean and Market Streets. During the mid-1890s, a new city hall was constructed at the intersection of Forsyth and Ocean Streets. Anchored by a tower reminiscent of Cleveland's Westside Market, this architecturally elegant mixed-use building featured a new large indoor public market at street level with city offices above. With a closure of the riverfront space two blocks south, much of that area transitioned to an open air seafood market. Because seafood is quick to spoil, commerical fish markets like Ocean Street's were historically most often found in waterfront communities.
Late 19th Century advertisements from vendors inside the new indoor City Market at Forsyth and Ocean Streets. Courtesy of the Jacksonville Public Library Special Collections Department.
Vendors, such as Eugene Vanderpool, a dealer in fish and oysters, did not get to enjoy the city's new indoor market for long. On May 3, 1901, a devasting fire, now known as the Great Fire of 1901, destroyed the structure along with 2,367 other buildings throughout the city. After the fire, City Hall was rebuilt but without the public market component. Many of those vendors ended up settling around the commercial seafood market on the Ocean Street riverfront. Soon, all of Ocean Street, south of Bay Street was lined with produce, meat, dry goods, seafood vendors and restaurants.
Architecturally, South Ocean Street wasn't anything special. Similar to Philadelphia's 9th Street Market, it was nothing more than a collection of simple brick and frame buildings with awnings over the sidewalks, protecting consumers from the natural elements. However, it was an authentic peice of Jacksonville where one could experience local cuisine and the area's cultural diversity.
South Ocean Street was similar in "feel" (height of buildings, sidewalk width, street width, etc.) to Philadelphia's 9th Street Italian Market pictured above.
This doesn't mean it was a place for millennials, hipsters, and yuppies. At it's core, it was still a working waterfront that was home to an ice manufacturing plant and crabmeat processing factory. In fact, to access its wharfs, one had to cross a series of St. Johns River Terminal Company railroad tracks serving wharfs and industries along the waterfront. Being a working waterfront during an era where keeping the river clean wasn't a concern, meant one had to also deal with the fetid stench of fish and floating oil from a shoreline flushed with sewage of a thriving city.
In any event, they say you don't know what you've got until it's gone. This may be the case with downtown's Ocean Street market. By the end of World War II, the proliferation of supermarkets in the region, aging infrastructure, crime, and the dispersement of the city's population base had taken their toll on the market's health. 16-30 South Ocean Street had already been demolished and replaced with one of the city's earliest parking lots, taking out eight storefronts and putting a large hole in the middle of the South Ocean Street scene.
Determined to clean up the city's blighted waterfront, new mayor Haydon Burns had much larger plans for downtown's riverfront district. Downtown needed parking and the riverfront needed a new fresh look. Burn's revitalization plans solved these two issues by destroying most of downtown's wharfs and replacing them with riverfront surface parking. The historic but dilapidated market on South Ocean Street was one of the first things to go. By 1956, the place where Jaxsons had come to purchase their fresh catch had become one of the most scenic surface parking lots in the South.
Aerial of downotwn photographed on March 23, 1956.The Ocean Street market is no more. Replaced by the city's first riverfront parking lot as a part of one of downtown's first revitalization efforts.The market's former footprint is highlighted in red. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, https://floridamemory.com/items/show/166868
Next Page: Images of Jacksonville's Ocean Street Market
The market at the foot of Ocean Street during the 1870s. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, https://floridamemory.com/items/show/34704
Jacksonville's public market at the foot of Ocean Street during the 1870s. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, https://floridamemory.com/items/show/142382
Sanborn map of new City Building and Market in relation to the old public market and commercial fish market at the foot of Ocean Street in 1897. Courtesy of University of Florida George A Smathers Library.
The remains of the city market during the aftermath of the Great Fire of 1901. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, https://floridamemory.com/items/show/25738
A nice shot of the market taken between 1900 and 1915. Brick building in foreground may be Sompayrac, a grocery store. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, https://floridamemory.com/items/show/90044
1913 Sanborn map of the Ocean Street market. Courtesy of University of Florida George A Smathers Library.
A busy day at the commercial fish section of the market during the 1910s. Catches of fish were sold here. The building at right is Consolidated Building. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, https://floridamemory.com/items/show/144130
Inside Tony Cotsonis' Red Star Beef Company's and Market's tavern during the 1930s. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, https://floridamemory.com/items/show/51461
Crabmeat processing in 1939. The G.L. Lewis Company opened a crabmeat processing plant and cannery at the Ocean Street wharf in the late 1930s. Lewis remained a tenant until being forced to relocate to Panama Park in the mid-1950s. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, https://floridamemory.com/items/show/51503
Looking south down Ocean Street, from Bay Street, in 1941. The South Ocean Street Hotel was above the ground level storefronts. The Red Star Beef Company and Market was one of the retail storefronts in this building. Owned by Tony Cotsonis, Red Star dealt in large sales of food products.State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, https://floridamemory.com/items/show/51321
Aerial of downtown and the market. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, https://floridamemory.com/items/show/166690
When this photograph was taken on September 3, 1947, a portion of Ocean Street's market style atmosphere had already been demolished for parking. For you craft brewers out there, Frank Fehr Brewing Company was one of the early tenants housed in the structure demolished for Albright Auto Park. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, https://floridamemory.com/items/show/166738
An abandoned storefront at 15 South Ocean Street in 1948. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, https://floridamemory.com/items/show/51189
The market and dilapidated wharfs on July 7, 1948. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, https://floridamemory.com/items/show/166681
Intersection of Bay and Ocean around 1950. The Red Star Tavern is located on the left. The Bostwick Building is located on the right. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, https://floridamemory.com/items/show/52918
Aerial of downotwn photographed on March 23, 1956.The Ocean Street market is no more. Replaced by the city's first riverfront parking lot as a part of one of downtown's first revitalization efforts. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, https://floridamemory.com/items/show/166868
The site of the Ocean Street market in 2015.
a large portion of the former market site now serves as the Jacksonville Landing's parking lot.
Article by Ennis Davis, AICP. Contact Ennis at edavis@moderncities.com
North Block
Three Bros Fish & Oyster Company
Lawrence Hotel
Kelly Produce Company
Denmark Produce Company
George Shiver Produce Company
Donald McLean Grocery
New York Window Cleaning Company
Jos C. Newsom grocery
National Net & Twine Company Inc.
W.J. Ray & Company Produce
Eugene Vanderpool & Son Fish & Oysters
Deep Sea Fisheries Inc
Wald H. Scmickler Wholsale Fish
Jos Weinberger Restaurant
Mayport Fish & Oyster Company
South Block -- Wharf Over River
Gantt Fish Company
Peninsula Fish & Shrimp Company
Charles Labeces Cigars
Peter C Gounaris Restaurant
William Jigetts Restaurant
Jos Stafford Restaurant
Mary Grant Restaurant
Ocean Street Dock Filling Station
Marine Sales & Service Company
Booth Fisheries Company
Florida Fish & Produce Company Inc.
Palmer Brothers Engines Inc
Jax Machine & Dry Dock Company
Sunshine Parking Place
Wilbur R. Dunkel Auto Repair
Jacksonville Fish Company
Leesburg & Jacksonville Transportation Company
Believe it or not, this was all on Ocean Street, south of Bay Street in downtown Jacksonville in 1930. Some have suggested that the Jacksonville Landing would be best suited for repositioning itself as a public market focusing on local cuisine, businesses, waterfront dining, and entertainment. If things turn out that way, it would not be the site's first time playing host to a public market. For the majority of the city's history, the foot of Ocean Street was just that.
1928 Sanborn Map of Ocean Street market. Courtesy of the Jacksonville Public Library Special Collections Department.
For much of the 19th century, public markets existed along the St. Johns River at the foot of South Ocean and Market Streets. During the mid-1890s, a new city hall was constructed at the intersection of Forsyth and Ocean Streets. Anchored by a tower reminiscent of Cleveland's Westside Market, this architecturally elegant mixed-use building featured a new large indoor public market at street level with city offices above. With a closure of the riverfront space two blocks south, much of that area transitioned to an open air seafood market. Because seafood is quick to spoil, commerical fish markets like Ocean Street's were historically most often found in waterfront communities.
Late 19th Century advertisements from vendors inside the new indoor City Market at Forsyth and Ocean Streets. Courtesy of the Jacksonville Public Library Special Collections Department.
Vendors, such as Eugene Vanderpool, a dealer in fish and oysters, did not get to enjoy the city's new indoor market for long. On May 3, 1901, a devasting fire, now known as the Great Fire of 1901, destroyed the structure along with 2,367 other buildings throughout the city. After the fire, City Hall was rebuilt but without the public market component. Many of those vendors ended up settling around the commercial seafood market on the Ocean Street riverfront. Soon, all of Ocean Street, south of Bay Street was lined with produce, meat, dry goods, seafood vendors and restaurants.
Architecturally, South Ocean Street wasn't anything special. Similar to Philadelphia's 9th Street Market, it was nothing more than a collection of simple brick and frame buildings with awnings over the sidewalks, protecting consumers from the natural elements. However, it was an authentic peice of Jacksonville where one could experience local cuisine and the area's cultural diversity.
South Ocean Street was similar in "feel" (height of buildings, sidewalk width, street width, etc.) to Philadelphia's 9th Street Italian Market pictured above.
This doesn't mean it was a place for millennials, hipsters, and yuppies. At it's core, it was still a working waterfront that was home to an ice manufacturing plant and crabmeat processing factory. In fact, to access its wharfs, one had to cross a series of St. Johns River Terminal Company railroad tracks serving wharfs and industries along the waterfront. Being a working waterfront during an era where keeping the river clean wasn't a concern, meant one had to also deal with the fetid stench of fish and floating oil from a shoreline flushed with sewage of a thriving city.
In any event, they say you don't know what you've got until it's gone. This may be the case with downtown's Ocean Street market. By the end of World War II, the proliferation of supermarkets in the region, aging infrastructure, crime, and the dispersement of the city's population base had taken their toll on the market's health. 16-30 South Ocean Street had already been demolished and replaced with one of the city's earliest parking lots, taking out eight storefronts and putting a large hole in the middle of the South Ocean Street scene.
Determined to clean up the city's blighted waterfront, new mayor Haydon Burns had much larger plans for downtown's riverfront district. Downtown needed parking and the riverfront needed a new fresh look. Burn's revitalization plans solved these two issues by destroying most of downtown's wharfs and replacing them with riverfront surface parking. The historic but dilapidated market on South Ocean Street was one of the first things to go. By 1956, the place where Jaxsons had come to purchase their fresh catch had become one of the most scenic surface parking lots in the South.
Aerial of downotwn photographed on March 23, 1956.The Ocean Street market is no more. Replaced by the city's first riverfront parking lot as a part of one of downtown's first revitalization efforts.The market's former footprint is highlighted in red. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, https://floridamemory.com/items/show/166868
Next Page: Images of Jacksonville's Ocean Street Market
The market at the foot of Ocean Street during the 1870s. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, https://floridamemory.com/items/show/34704
Jacksonville's public market at the foot of Ocean Street during the 1870s. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, https://floridamemory.com/items/show/142382
Sanborn map of new City Building and Market in relation to the old public market and commercial fish market at the foot of Ocean Street in 1897. Courtesy of University of Florida George A Smathers Library.
The remains of the city market during the aftermath of the Great Fire of 1901. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, https://floridamemory.com/items/show/25738
A nice shot of the market taken between 1900 and 1915. Brick building in foreground may be Sompayrac, a grocery store. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, https://floridamemory.com/items/show/90044
1913 Sanborn map of the Ocean Street market. Courtesy of University of Florida George A Smathers Library.
A busy day at the commercial fish section of the market during the 1910s. Catches of fish were sold here. The building at right is Consolidated Building. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, https://floridamemory.com/items/show/144130
Inside Tony Cotsonis' Red Star Beef Company's and Market's tavern during the 1930s. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, https://floridamemory.com/items/show/51461
Crabmeat processing in 1939. The G.L. Lewis Company opened a crabmeat processing plant and cannery at the Ocean Street wharf in the late 1930s. Lewis remained a tenant until being forced to relocate to Panama Park in the mid-1950s. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, https://floridamemory.com/items/show/51503
Looking south down Ocean Street, from Bay Street, in 1941. The South Ocean Street Hotel was above the ground level storefronts. The Red Star Beef Company and Market was one of the retail storefronts in this building. Owned by Tony Cotsonis, Red Star dealt in large sales of food products.State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, https://floridamemory.com/items/show/51321
Aerial of downtown and the market. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, https://floridamemory.com/items/show/166690
When this photograph was taken on September 3, 1947, a portion of Ocean Street's market style atmosphere had already been demolished for parking. For you craft brewers out there, Frank Fehr Brewing Company was one of the early tenants housed in the structure demolished for Albright Auto Park. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, https://floridamemory.com/items/show/166738
An abandoned storefront at 15 South Ocean Street in 1948. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, https://floridamemory.com/items/show/51189
The market and dilapidated wharfs on July 7, 1948. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, https://floridamemory.com/items/show/166681
Intersection of Bay and Ocean around 1950. The Red Star Tavern is located on the left. The Bostwick Building is located on the right. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, https://floridamemory.com/items/show/52918
Aerial of downotwn photographed on March 23, 1956.The Ocean Street market is no more. Replaced by the city's first riverfront parking lot as a part of one of downtown's first revitalization efforts. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, https://floridamemory.com/items/show/166868
The site of the Ocean Street market in 2015.
a large portion of the former market site now serves as the Jacksonville Landing's parking lot.
Article by Ennis Davis, AICP. Contact Ennis at edavis@moderncities.com