Public/private partnership funds historical markers for two target communities

News

by Max Marbut

Staff Writer

“It’s always great to brag about what we can do when we have the resources,” said Mayor John Peyton Tuesday at the Main Library.

He was joined by representatives from Comcast and two preservation organizations that have received grants totaling $70,000 for the installation and maintenance of new historical markers at a number of sites in Old Arlington and Northwest Jacksonville.

The Comcast Foundation funded the project in cooperation with the mayor’s office’s “Seeds of Change” initiative that was started in 2006 to help residents in the two neighborhoods take pride in their communities.

“We’re very proud of our work with Seeds of Change,” said Peyton. “Jacksonville is a collection of neighborhoods and we’re only as good as they are. In both Old Arlington and in Northwest Jacksonville, lots of folks are joining hands to make those areas better places to live. There are many stories in these neighborhoods we must not lose and must celebrate.”

Tom Horn, Comcast vice president and general manager of the Jacksonville area, said the grants were funded by the Comcast Foundation, which was established in 1999 and has since donated more than $43 million nationwide for projects that improve communities.

“Comcast believes it’s important to be an integral part of the communities we serve and give back to the community with a positive, sustainable impact,” said Horn. “We have an opportunity and an obligation to support programs such as these.”

According to Comcast Regional Vice President of Government Affairs Bill Ferry, the projects fit perfectly with the foundation’s mission.

“The mayor’s office approached us and said they had a great idea they’d like to discuss,” said Ferry. “We were very happy that it fit in with our requirements to promote diversity and education. This project truly appealed to us as a way to celebrate diversity in the community and give people a greater respect for the rich historical heritage in their neighborhoods.”

In Northwest Jacksonville, the grant will be used to identify sites of the homes of many of Jacksonville’s most notable residents including Sallye B. Mathis and Mary Singleton, who were two of the first African-Americans to be elected to the City Council. The home of the Johnson brothers, James Weldon and John Rosamond — who wrote what is known as the African-American national anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing” — will be honored with a marker, as will the home of “Strangers in the Night” composer Charlie “Hoss” Singleton.

In Old Arlington, historical markers will be placed at Chesterfield, the 22-acre site of Anna Kingsley’s plantation on what is now Jacksonville University and at the Norman Silent Film Museum on Arlington Road, among others.

Robert Sanders, president of Old Arlington, Inc., said he believes having the markers installed will be the catalyst for a series of guided tours of the area the organization plans to offer to the public. Past president and current board member Ann Burt agreed.

“The public – even the people who live in the area – don’t realize what a rich history there is in the neighborhood. The new signage will make history accessible for residents and visitors alike,” she said.

Comcast / Seeds of Change proposed historic markers

Old Arlington

• Sammis Home

• Clifton Cemetery

• Norman Silent Film Museum

• Chesterfield, Anna Kingsley’s plantation home

• McNeill Plantation

• Sta. Isabel, plantation home of Oran and Martha Kingsley Baxter

• Strawberry Mills (also known as Richard Mill)

• Arlington Ferry Landing

• JM & P Railroad Station and route to Mayport

• Floral Bluff Plantation and Bigelow Cemetery

• F.W. Bruce House

• Macy - MacLean Home

• Arlington Grammar School and two Africa-American school sites at Lone Star Road near Cesery Boulevard and the present-day fire department location on Ft. Caroline Road

Northwest Jacksonville

• Sallye B. Mathis Home

• Mary Singleton Home

• Isaiah and Mary Blocker Home

• Charlie “Hoss” Singleton Home

• Brewster Methodist Hospital

• Emmett “Chip” Reed Home

• Florida and David Dwight Home

• Daylight’s Grocery Store

• Nickerson’s Beauty College

• Manuel’s Tap Room

• The Two Spot