Jacksonville History - LaVilla- Our 1st Suburb-The Ritz Theatre, Old Stanton High, Fire Station 4

Jacksonville history, LaVilla, old Stanton High School, James Weldon Johnson, The Ritz Theatre

***HJPP-The History Jacksonville Preservation Project***
Show #27 of "History Jacksonville!" Film & Broadcast Date November 29, 2014
This episode of History Jacksonville was incredibly ambitious but it almost didn’t happen when it did. November 29, 2014 was penned down on my calendar for me to stroll and film thru LaVilla and around the old railroad station (the convention center). I awoke to news and pictures thru local media and even on my Facebook page from various personalities and friends who witnessed the old Davis Furniture Building burning down overnight. I immediately considered postponing. After further thought and talking it over with a friend, I decided to proceed. I was glad that I did. The show begins with me in front of the reconstructed Ritz Theatre with the sun beaming down upon it as I appear in somewhat dim lighting. I have a philosophy that the beauty of the building, landmark, or place, is the focus-not the narrator. I talked about the old Ritz Theatre and it's role now in a new structure as a performing arts center and museum, the legacy of James Weldon Johnson, old Stanton High School, Fire Station Number 4, the Masonic Temple, Old Brewster Hospital, the old 20th century houses, the old Ambassador Hotel, and even more. I called for an organized effort for affordable housing and talk about the amazing history of LaVilla in the 20th century, the effects of the 1990s River City Renaissance revitalization effort & speculated on what I saw at that time as opportunities for the future. Unfortunately, I decided to not film around the old railroad station due to the fire which had caused a traffic detour. This is one of the more popular shows of the series and one of my favorites, as I walked throughout the neighborhood and told the history and legends, along with my personal recollections from the 1980s and 1990s.Currently, it is the 18th most popular of the 178 shows on the channel. In this show, I talked about a neighborhood that had a rich heritage and history but had a rough life simply trying to survive - as other areas of the city flourished. It is a work in progress and it looks like it will be for a long time. Recent initiatives like the Emerald trail’s “ LaVilla Link” will hopefully bring enhancement. As I reflect, I enjoyed filming extensively around an area where most would not consider walking around to share the value that neighborhood had once produced for the city and to eventually in my life to see the fruition of past and future improvements in the 20th and 21st centuries.
George Farrar

(original text revised)
History Jacksonville is back! We explore LaVilla, a historic African American neighborhood that was Jacksonville's 1st suburb. I talk about the Ritz Theatre, the legacy of James Weldon Johnson, old Stanton High School, Fire Station Number 4, the Masonic Temple, Old Brewster Hospital, the old 20th century houses that are still standing, and more. I call for an organized effort for affordable housing and talk about the amazing history of LaVilla in the 20th century, the effects of the 1990s River City Renaissance revitalization effort & the opportunities for the future.

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