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Abandoned Jacksonville: Ruins of the First Coast
"Following the demolition of the LaVilla neighborhood in the height of the cocaine epidemic, Abandoned Jacksonville takes readers from the fall of the city to the resurgence currently overtaking the downtown area and the renovations of many gorgeous structures. Written by local historian and photographer, David Bulit, Abandoned Jacksonville will take you through the seedier and forgotten parts of the First Coast.
This book features many locations in the city, including the 310 West Church Street Apartments, a once high-class establishment with a dark past related to the cocaine epidemic; the Moulton & Kyle Funeral Home, the longest running family business in the city, which is now frequented by homeless vagrants and drug dealers; Annie Lytle Elementary School, closed for over fifty years due to the highway construction (urban legends now surround it giving it the nickname the "Devil's School"); the Dr. Horace Drew Manor, once a beautiful and prestigious home which fell into disrepair in the 70s (now referred to by locals as the "Haunted House""); and many more."
This book features many locations in the city, including the 310 West Church Street Apartments, a once high-class establishment with a dark past related to the cocaine epidemic; the Moulton & Kyle Funeral Home, the longest running family business in the city, which is now frequented by homeless vagrants and drug dealers; Annie Lytle Elementary School, closed for over fifty years due to the highway construction (urban legends now surround it giving it the nickname the "Devil's School"); the Dr. Horace Drew Manor, once a beautiful and prestigious home which fell into disrepair in the 70s (now referred to by locals as the "Haunted House""); and many more."
96 pages, Paperback
Published May 27, 2019
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January 18, 2021
In Abandoned Jacksonville, Abandoned Florida blogger and photographer David Bulit turns his attention and his lens toward fourteen of Duval County's most fascinating dilapidated buildings.
After a brief introduction, Bulit arranges his work into twelve chapters featuring the 310 West Church Street apartment, Jones Brothers Furniture Company building, Florida Baptist Building, Moulton & Kyle Funeral Home, Duval County Armory, Claude Nolan Cadillac building, Evan's Rendezvous at American Beach, Horace Drew Mansion, Public School No. 8, Annie Lytle Elementary School, Laura Street Trio, and Barnett National Bank Building. Each chapter includes a short overview of the history of the structure - usually but not always covering the architectural and social background, with the occasional rumor or legend thrown in - along with a selection of photos taken by Bulit during his urban exploring ventures into each subject.
Bulit's photographic work is lovely, and well-reproduced here, offering an eerie glimpse into buildings most locals know but have never entered. The text is much less effective; typos, incorrect dates, and misplaced captions suggest poor editing, and make this somewhat unreliable as a historical work. There are also strange gaps in the writing - for instance, there's zero detail offered on the architectural history of the Horace Drew Mansion, which seems an odd oversight.
As a work of history, Abandoned Jacksonville is frustrating and incomplete. As a work of art, however, it's both gorgeous and important as these buildings are all in danger of disappearing - in fact, the Moulton & Kyle Funeral Home burned down just a few days after I finished reading this. It's somewhat comforting to know that while that piece of Jacksonville's history may be gone, David Bulit's images of it will live on.
After a brief introduction, Bulit arranges his work into twelve chapters featuring the 310 West Church Street apartment, Jones Brothers Furniture Company building, Florida Baptist Building, Moulton & Kyle Funeral Home, Duval County Armory, Claude Nolan Cadillac building, Evan's Rendezvous at American Beach, Horace Drew Mansion, Public School No. 8, Annie Lytle Elementary School, Laura Street Trio, and Barnett National Bank Building. Each chapter includes a short overview of the history of the structure - usually but not always covering the architectural and social background, with the occasional rumor or legend thrown in - along with a selection of photos taken by Bulit during his urban exploring ventures into each subject.
Bulit's photographic work is lovely, and well-reproduced here, offering an eerie glimpse into buildings most locals know but have never entered. The text is much less effective; typos, incorrect dates, and misplaced captions suggest poor editing, and make this somewhat unreliable as a historical work. There are also strange gaps in the writing - for instance, there's zero detail offered on the architectural history of the Horace Drew Mansion, which seems an odd oversight.
As a work of history, Abandoned Jacksonville is frustrating and incomplete. As a work of art, however, it's both gorgeous and important as these buildings are all in danger of disappearing - in fact, the Moulton & Kyle Funeral Home burned down just a few days after I finished reading this. It's somewhat comforting to know that while that piece of Jacksonville's history may be gone, David Bulit's images of it will live on.
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