by Bailey White
Staff Writer
From his 7th floor window at the Florida Theatre Building, Joel McEachin sees the scaffolding at the Immaculate Conception Church, the peaks of the First Presbyterian Church and the construction of loft apartments at 11 E. Forsyth. He could tell you a story about each one of them.
McEachin is the senior historic preservation planner of the City’s comprehensive planning division and knows the history of 70 or so historic downtown buildings as part of his job.
“We have documentation on over 15,000 buildings,” said McEachin. “That doesn’t mean every single one has historical status, but it does show that our historic resources exceed anywhere else.”
This gives him a lot to keep up with.
The Historic Preservation Department’s team of four is responsible for identifying, recording and preserving Jacksonville’s cultural resources. Proposals for new sites or rezoning come through the comprehensive planning office and are checked for historic significance.
“We also provide the administrative staff of the Jacksonville Historic Preservation Commission, which recommends to City Council the designation of landmarks and historic districts,” he said.
With the renewed interest in downtown and Springfield living, developers are in and out of McEachin’s office. Buildings with historic status are eligible for tax breaks and grants for renovations but must first fit national standards to be considered for the beneficial status.
A main criteria is that the building be at least 50 years old but there are other characteristics that can make a building historically significant.
“A building may be associated with a significant person or event or it could represent a particular architectural style,” said McEachin.
Sometimes it’s a building’s association with the community that makes it a part of architectural history.
“That category is a little more nebulous. The old City Hall on Hendricks Avenue is an example because it symbolizes a city that no longer exists,” he said.
McEachin’s office also offers advice for the restoration process of historic buildings. The Historic Preservation Guidelines for the Springfield Historic District address everything from the way masonry should be cleaned to the colors of paint to avoid in historic renovations.
McEachin is currently working with Atlanta developer Jim Brewer on the lofts Brewer is developing in Springfield and he’s been able to follow the development of the W.A. Knight building and the old American Heritage Life Insurance building at 11 E. Forsyth St. into loft apartments.
“The interest in historic preservation in Jacksonville is growing,” said McEachin. “One advantage is the sheer number of historic resources.”
According to McEachin, there is a lot to be interested in. Downtown boasts many landmarks.
The Bisbee Building and the Atlantic National Bank Building, both on Forsyth Street, are two of the earliest skyscrapers and Bisbee was Florida’s first reinforced-concrete frame high-rise office building. Signet Developing was recently chosen by the City as the company to handle the building’s redevelopment.
And McEachin considers the churches in the area, built in the first decade after the 1901 fire, highly significant because of their Gothic design.
Unlike Savannah, St. Augustine and Charleston, Jacksonville’s history is more recent.
“We have an architectural heritage as well, but our history is more of the early 20th century,” said McEachin.
While a building like the Haydon Burns Library may not be considered as historically significant in Charleston or Savannah, the Jacksonville Historic Preservation Commission is paying attention to what will happen to it.
“It represents a style and time that doesn’t have a lot of good representation here. It might not be a building that would inspire people to chain themselves to it to save it from demolition, but it’s important to always keep our minds open for the future,” he said.
While library talk isn’t much more than talk right now, McEachin’s department has recently seen a few good projects to completion.
The City recently designated the 1875 former residence of Army officer William Webb’s Mandarin farm as an historical location, and they’ve made a park out of the property on the St. Johns River.
It doesn’t seem like the number of buildings and neighborhoods with potential for historical status will run out anytime soon. There are plenty of areas around town that boast significant culture and design.
McEachin cites areas like North Springfield and Murray Hill as having unique old bungalow houses. The Fletcher Park area of San Marco is also seeing renewed interest. The houses there were built for World War I era shipyard workers and are one of the earliest examples of involvement of the Federal government in a housing project. A little known fact is that noted local architect Henry Klutho had a part in the designs.
McEachin was born in Panama City and graduated with a master’s degree in anthropology from Florida State. He worked at Tallahassee’s Junior Museum doing everything from curating to directing before coming to Jacksonville to become executive director of Mayor Jake Godbold’s Historic Landmarks Commission, which produced the large scale book, “Jacksonville’s Architectural Heritage.” McEachin then worked as the executive director of Riverside Avondale Preservation until 1988, when he returned to the City’s historic planning department.
McEachin and wife, Debra, who have two children, do a fair amount of garage sale shopping when they have time, and he sharpens his antique restoration skills. McEachin collects books on Florida’s history.
“It helps to know what makes our city’s history significant, and how it fits with the broader patterns of time,” he said.