Northeast Quadrant
Located at the junction of multiple railroads, this quadrant is home to the Springfield Warehouse District. This district was developed by the Telfair Stockton & Company, adjacent to the junction of the Seaboard Air Line (SAL) and St. Johns River Terminal Company (SJRT) railroads during the 1920s. Built during an era where development was human scaled, the district’s structures and their architectural details were fairly elaborate for warehouse space. In addition, the streets were lined with sidewalks and native trees, providing shade for the pedestrian.
Developed well before President Eisenhower’s Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956, most of these industrial spaces were directly served by the railroads through a network of sidings paralleling 14th Street. Like many of the early 20th century warehouse districts across the country, the Springfield Warehouse District became a center of obsolescence in the late 20th century as the city spread outward, semi-trucks increased in popularity and technological advances resulted in massive changes in industrial design. Today, many of the district’s historic warehouses are being renovated into the Jacksonville School of the Arts and Phoenix Arts District.