1.
The north elevation of the building captures the original 1921 structure (right) and the 1948 reinforced concrete addition. Facing Beaver Street, trucks were loaded with finished meat products, making it the “clean side” of the operation.
2.
A few of the shipping room’s doors to the truck loading dock. Farris & Company’s original office was located to the right of the shipping room.
3.
Cattle pens were located on the west (right) side of the building. Live cattle and hogs entered the slaughterhouse on the third floor and left the building on the first floor as packaged meat products. Considered the “dirty side” of operations, much of this activity has hidden from public view.
4.
Over the years, many of the plants large windows have been filled in with concrete block.
5.
A close up look at the 1948 concrete addition and original 1921 building with brick walls.
6.
A 1921 section drawing of the structure illustrating the elevator shaft and adjacent stairwell, along the west side of the meatpacking plant.
7.
Inside the first floor of the 1948 reinforced concrete addition. Much of this structure was once utilized for the cold storage of meat products.
8.
A close up look at the east wall of the original 1921 building.
9.
While the building won’t when any architectural awards, it does possess enough historic character to serve as the background for a creative adaptive reuse project.
Historical Narrative by Ennis Davis, AICP. Contact Ennis at edavis@moderncities.com. Photographs by Tim Gilmore</b>. A more detailed article by Tim Gilmore can be found at JaxPsychoGeo.com