JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – It's one of the oldest neighborhoods still standing in the heart of the city and it's probably a place you’ve never heard of. Here's the story of West Lewisville, a historic African-American streetcar suburb that pre-dates the Great Fire of 1901.
Located in an area now described as Mixon Town, West Lewisville is a 20-block neighborhood bound by I10, I95, Forest Street and Osceola Street, just north of Riverside and west of Brooklyn. Straddling the former Jacksonville, Tampa & Key West Railway, West Lewisville originated during the late 19th century as a westward expansion of nearby African-American communities such as LaVilla, Campbell Hill and Brooklyn.
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Following the Great Fire of 1901, West Lewisville became a popular place for African-Americans to reside due to numerous employment opportunities available at nearby railyards and manufacturing plants. By 1913, Sanborn maps indicate the working class community had been largely built out with small, predominately one-story shotgun houses, churches and bungalow courts. Maps also indicate the presence of a bustling compact commercial district along the neighborhood's eastern border with Brooklyn and Riverside.
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