West Lewisville Photo Tour

1. The former King Solomon United Baptist Church building located on Forest Street dates back to 1900. A large sanctuary to replace this structure was completed across the street in 2004.

2. Peterbrooke Chocolatier’s new digs at 239 Copeland Street were once a part of the Jones-Chambliss Meat Packers slaughterhouse complex. The Jones-Chambliss Company was officially incorporated in January 1911 by its founders, Charles A. Jones and John O. Chambliss, with $30,000 in capital. In 1966, the company expanded its complex with the construction and opening of Henry’s Hickory House, a meat and bacon slicing plant, on the other side of the railroad. While the company continued to operate Henry’s Hickory House, the slaughterhouse was closed in 1980. In 1988, Henry’s Hickory House was sold to William “Billy” Morris for $500,000. In 2001, the Hickory House plant produced 600,000 pounds of bacon a week, more than 31 million pounds annually, buying pork bellies and performing the rest of the process at their plant. As late as the mid-2000s, Henry’s Hickory House was Florida’s largest bacon producer, employing 140 people and supplying bacon brands like Tom & Ted’s to grocery stores throughout the Southeast. In addition to Henry’s Hickory House, Morris acquired Georgia-based Bubba Burgers in 2000 and Peterbrooke Chocolatier in 2012.

3. The rail corridor running through West Lewisville was originally developed by the Jacksonville, Tampa & Key West Railway during the 1880s. It became a part of Henry Plant’s railroad system before being acquired by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (ACL) in 1902. In 1967, the ACL merged into the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad, eventually becoming a part of CSX. During West Lewisville’s heyday, this rail corridor was lined with poultry processors, meat packers, ice houses, and lumberyards.

4. Now being used as a U-Haul center, this building at 2263 Lewis Street was one of two Draper’s Egg and Poultry Company, Inc. facilities in West Lewisville.

5. Looking west on Edison Street at the historical western entrance to West Lewisville. A streetcar line during West Lewisville’s most bustling era, Edison Street developed as a pedestrian friendly mixed use corridor lined with commercial, industrial, religious and residential uses.

6. Former retail storefronts along Edison Street stand waiting for a second lease on life. For many years, the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, better known as A&P, operated at store in this block of building. When this store was in operation, A&P was the world’s largest retailer, reaching $1 billion in sales with 16,000 stores in 1936.

7. The Wrightsville A.M.E. Church (True Church of the Risen Christ) at 2297 Edison Avenue constructed in 1922. In the early 20th century, Consumers Ice Company operated an ice plant adjacent to the Wrightsville A.M.E. Church at 2293 Edison Avenue. The company closed in 1954. In later years, the Gillespie Bonded Warehouse Company operated out of the site. The old ice house was demolished during the late 1990s. Consumers Ice Company also operated an ice plant in the City of South Jacksonville, whose building is currently occupied by Aardwolf Brewing Company.