The Union AME Church completed this building in 1968 at 1155 West Beaver Street.

This apartment complex at 745 Eaverson Street was completed in 1966.

808 Eaverson Street was built in 1941.

828 Eaverson Street was built in 1909.

This quadruplex at 916 Eaverson Street was built in 1956.

1100 West State Street was built in 1929. In 1941 it was occupied by a restaurant owned by Leroy Livingston. Today, the Royale Cafe serves up delicious Jamaican cuisine in this space.

A row of shotgun houses and duplexes built between 1919 and 1922 on Eaverson Street.

743 Minnie Street was completed in 1971.

713 Minnie Street was completed in 1972.

This dense row of West Duval Street residences was constructed between 1904 and 1909.

The Fiesta Motel was a motel for Black travelers when it opened in 1961 with 26 air conditioned rooms, each with television and telephone. The old motel is now the 1251 Efficiency Apartments at 1251 Kings Road.

The A.L. Lewis Junior High School No. 105 was built in 1917 at 600 Eaverson Street. In 1952, the school was expanded to include a two story addition behind the original building. By 1955, there were more than 1,000 students enrolled. Much of the long closed school has been razed but the 1952 addition, which includes a cafeteria and kitchen, remains.

The Simpson Memorial United Methodist Church was established in 1884. This building at 1114 King Road was designed by John Henry Rosemond and completed in 1923. Rosemond was one of two Black builders before World War II, to refer to himself as an architect. Today, the property is owned by the Ethiopian Evangelical Church of Jacksonville, Inc.

The 2.3 acre Florida C. Dwight Memorial Playground opened in 1904 as a recreational space for LaVilla’s white residents. Known as LaVilla Park, it became the city’s second playground for Black children in 1929.

In 1983, it was renamed after Florida C. Dwight (1886-1977), Florida Dwight (1886-1977), the playground’s first recreation director. Designated a local historic landmark in 1995, a skate park was added to the space in 2019.

Article by Ennis Davis, AICP. Contact Ennis at edavis@moderncities.com