Preserving the past: Jacksonville History Center highlights threatened landmarks
The Jacksonville History Center is working to educate the public about a growing list of endangered buildings across the city.
In total, 29 buildings are currently listed as endangered and at risk of not being preserved.
Each structure represents a unique piece of cultural or historical significance. Without timely intervention, they could be lost forever.
The Jacksonville History Center identified the Laura Street Trio as one of the most endangered properties in the city, along with Snyder Memorial and the Methodist Church.
The list also includes schools, churches, and residential buildings.
During a recent meeting, the History Center highlighted four historic structures that will not be revitalized, including the Ford Motor Company assembly plant.
'And that building could have been turned into the most wonderful marketplace that you could imagine with the right person to take that on; unfortunately nobody was willing to do that,' Kate Hallock, Communications Director of the Jacksonville History Center, said.
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The organization also celebrated successful preservation efforts.
One of those is the former Florida Casket Company. The three-story facility will be turned into a museum that will feature exhibits on Jacksonville's musical, economic, and civil rights history, among other key parts of the city's past.
The museum is expected to open in 2027, but additional funding is still needed.
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'We've already spent $3.4 million for the first phase and now we need another 3 million to finish it off,' Hallock said.
Other preservation successes include The Corner at Debs Store, which was renovated and reopened last year, and the Jessie Ball DuPont Center, which was renovated in 2015.
The fire station museum at 620 East Bay Street and the Federal Reserve building at 424 North Hogan Street are also in the process of being repurposed.
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