For over a century, West Adams Street was a vital artery in the heart of Downtown Jacksonville’s LaVilla neighborhood. Though much of it was lost to urban renewal, the street is now on the verge of a revival. Three decades after being reshaped by the River City Renaissance plan, here’s a look at West Adams Street — then and now.
The rise, fall, and rebirth of West Adams Street
Once a quiet residential corridor, West Adams Street was a defining feature of LaVilla during its time as an incorporated municipality between 1869 and 1887. Its character began to change dramatically following two key events: the 1897 opening of the Jacksonville Terminal Co.’s Union Depot and the Great Fire of 1901. These developments spurred the street’s transformation from a stretch of modest wood frame homes into a bustling, urbanized thoroughfare.
West Adams Street’s transition toward commercial prominence began at the intersections of Davis and Broad streets. With LaVilla emerging as Jacksonville’s premier railroad hub, the street quickly attracted new businesses. Early commercial development included the opening of liveries and stables as the south side of the neighborhood emerged as the city’s red light district.
In the years following the 1901 fire, the street’s once-dense collection of two-story frame residences gave way to brick storefronts, boarding houses and hotels catering to the growing number of visitors arriving by train. Many proprietors lived above their businesses, lending the area a vibrant, multicultural character, including a small but flourishing Chinese-American community…