JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – According to the Jacksonville Historical Society, these are Jacksonville's 21 most endangered buildings in 2017. Below are five examples.
Post Civil War cottage
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328 Chelsea Street (originally Cedar Street and then Charles Street)
Brooklyn emerged as a neighborhood for freedmen after the end of the civil war. Today, little remains of this era of 19th century Jacksonville and is in danger of being demolished as the neighborhood continues to rapidly gentrify.
Lavilla shotgun houses
Jefferson and Church Streets (moved from 612, 614 & 616 North Lee Street)
Working people lived in shotgun houses; practical one-story homes in which one could shoot a shotgun straight down the long interior hallway and out the front door.
The city spent over $100,000 to move the houses to a LaVilla location during the mid-1990s. These three shotgun houses were under construction near the Cleveland Fiber Factory when the Great Fire of May 3, 1901, broke out. They were damaged by the fire but survived. These three survivors represent a distinctive architectural style and are stored for future restoration, yet they are rapidly deteriorating.
Dr. Horace Drew Mansion
245 West Third Street
Completed around 1909, the mansion was originally built for Dr. Horace Drew, a member of a pioneer Jacksonville family. The historic home overlooks Springfield's Klutho Park and is now owned by contractor Michael Bourre.
Laura Street Trio
47-51 West Forsyth Street and 117 North Laura Street
The Marble Bank Building (51 West Forsyth Street) was built in 1902 as the Mercantile Exchange Bank. It later became Florida National Bank.
The 10-story Bisbee Building (47 West Forsyth Street) was built in 1909 and designed by architect H.J. Klutho.
The 11-story Florida Life Building (117 North Laura Street) was completed in 1912 and also designed by H.J. Klutho.
Plans for these buildings call for them to be restored and converted into a Courtyard by Marriott Hotel. Reconstruction could be under way by the end of 2017.
Fire Station No. 5
347 Riverside Avenue
Built in 1910, the Fire Station No. 5 has been shuttered since 2008. Fidelity National Financial acquired it from the city in 2010. As part of the swap, Fidelity built a riverfront park and gave the city more land for the Northbank Riverwalk.
Click here to see the full list on Modern Cities.