Name: Nicole

Age: 26 

Location: 9^th Street 

Occupation: Medical Sales Representative 

Fun Fact: Through traveling the world in the 1940’s, Nicole’s great uncle developed one of the world’s largest and most extensive collection of mounted animals, now displayed at museums in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

What brought you to the Springfield Historic District?

I first heard of the neighborhood a couple years ago when it was featured in Southern Living Magazine. Before that, I had no idea this community even existed.  I’ve always been drawn to old houses; each has a history unto itself and a story to tell. The front porches, character, and quarks. A few months ago, I was searching online for houses, looking in other historic neighborhoods in Jacksonville, and stumbled upon one in Springfield. I loved it, but wrote it off because of the perception I had of the area. After a couple months of searching, I just couldn’t let go of the Springfield house and decided to do some research. I spent a few days reading everything I could find about the neighborhood: the history, the fall from grace, the gentrification, and current events too. Pretty much everything I could find, I read. When I found all the information and stories in the Myspringfield.org site, it really sealed the deal for me. I finally decided to drive by the house and just see for myself. Luckily, someone was working outside the home and I was able to talk to them about it. I knew my search was over the minute I walked in the door! I moved in just a couple months ago.

Did you buy a historic or new house, and why?

I’m renting a new SRG house currently, but plan on restoring an old home eventually. At this point in my life, I’m not sure I’m ready to take that on. I want to spend a little more time here before I pick a house to restore.

What did your family & friends think of your move?

I was living in Tapestry Park apartments on Southside Boulevard, so it was a big change. My family was ok with it – my sister lives in New York City, so I didn’t really need to sell them on it. And boyfriend loves the area. When I told my Jacksonville friends I was moving to Springfield, I got one of two reactions:  “Ok, where is that?” and “YOU’RE MOVING WHERE!!??”  Once I took the time to explain everything to them, everyone was really eager to come see for themselves. 

My Grandmother, who lives at the beach, actually grew up in the area in the 1930’s. She was hesitant with the idea at first because she was familiar with the downfall, but not so much with the last decade. After visiting a couple times and going on the recent Holiday Home Tour, she’s comfortable with it now. 

What do you enjoy about living in the neighborhood?

I love that everyone says “Hi” to each other, as simple as that sounds. Like I mentioned, I lived in “luxury” apartments on Southside Blvd before I moved here. It was aesthetically nice, but after 2 years of living there I had never met my neighbors. People have gone out of their way to welcome me to the neighborhood. Plus, believe it or not, loud parties and police visits in the complex were a weekly nuisance. It’s quieter here. 

I also love that there always seems to be something going on, which keeps the neighborhood vibrant. And Uptown Market. I patronized it four times the first week I was here. Oh, and practically speaking, although they’re just a few miles away, it’s less expensive to live here than Riverside & Avondale or San Marco, yet still has a good quality of life and historic character. 

Do you plan on participating in any neighborhood events or organizations?

Absolutely. I went on the Holiday Home Tour and plan to help out with Neighborhood Clean Ups and other events once I’m a little more situated.

What do you hope to see change in the future?

I really hope more shops and restaurants move onto our commercial streets, like Main Street and 8^th Street. Like San Marco, Avondale, and Riverside, we need that central inviting commercial core that makes people want spend their Saturday afternoon here. Plus, keeping money IN the neighborhood by shopping and doing business locally is very important to the health of the community. I’d also love to see the street cars reinstalled on Main Street eventually.

What advice would you have for someone considering a move to the Springfield Historic District?

I have a couple recommendations: When out looking for houses in the neighborhood, find someone outside and introduce yourself. Or knock on a neighbors door. Or go have breakfast at Uptown Market. I’ve found that residents love to talk to people about the neighborhood, answer questions, and are very accommodating. You’ll probably hear “I wouldn’t live anywhere else in Jacksonville” over and over again, because it has it’s own unique vibe and feel to it.

Read everything you can about the history of Springfield and how much has been done to revitalize it. There’s been such  huge improvements in the quality of person living here and crime reduction, and unfortunately that story doesn’t get told as much as it should. The neighborhood is an amazing success story. As with any downtown or urban living, you have to be a little more conscious of your surroundings, but the benefits far outweigh any concerns that I’ve had. I already love living here!

Name: Brent Staton

Age: Old enough 

Location: Laura Street 

Occupation: Owner of  “An Olde Time Hardware” store, since 1995. 

Fun Fact: Brent worked for the U.S. Postal Service for 32 ½ years, and was their Union Representative for 27 years.

What brought you to the Springfield Historic District?  

I started working in the neighborhood in 1974, through job at the United States Postal Service. Our office was at 1925 Liberty Street. That’s the year I came to Springfield and that’s the year I fell in love with it. I worked in the neighborhood and became very active in the community at that time, but didn’t actually move here until Mother’s Day, 1984. But I didn’t fall in love with it as it was – there wasn’t much to like at that time. Mostly homes falling apart, rooming houses, and crime. I fell in love with the vision of what it could be. The vision and charm, that’s what brought me here.

Does your house have a story?  

After working in the neighborhood for so long, I often drove through and admired the houses. One house on Laura Street in particular caught my eye. It was a large house on a corner, with stained glass and plenty of room for my large family. One day while passing through, I caught the owner outside and we started talking about her house. It was owned by an elderly widow who had lived there for 47 years, and her nephew lived there with her to keep her safe. As you know, the neighborhood was a crime haven at that time. All of the widow’s family had moved away to Mandarin by then, but they couldn’t convince her to leave. Anyways, I just started complimenting her on her home and how much I admired it. It wasn’t for sale, but by the end of our conversation I said that if she ever decided to sell it, not to call anyone else but me. Not six months went by before she decided to sell it, and I purchased it for $56k. It was built in 1914 and in perfect condition.  

What are some of your memories of that time?  

Shortly after I started working in the area, in 1974, a woman named Joyce Holbrook walked into our office on Liberty Street. There had been a number of fires in the neighborhood and many houses were being badly damaged. That and all the other illegal activity that went on in the neighborhood made it a nest for crime and an eye sore for the city. The city was planning on bulldozing the neighborhood, and Joyce was there to see if anyone would join her in petitioning Mayor Jake Godbold to stop it. Joyce and five others, including myself, agreed to join her efforts and we were successful in stopping the demolitions temporarily. They gave us some time to come up with a plan to save the neighborhood, and that was the beginning of what is now known as Springfield Preservation And Revitalization (SPAR). I was a charter member.  

The other important memory of that time was crime, and getting involved in stopping it. After my family & I moved in 1984, we had to address the crime on my block specifically. My corner was a popular spot with prostitutes, Johns, and drug dealers on constant parade. Immense activity. Morning, day, and night. But this my home, and I had children, so I wasn’t going to stand for it. I called the police every day. Every day. The police operators knew who I was just by voice. They greeted me by name when I called. The police station even had a rubber stamp made with my name on it, literally, because I was generating so much paperwork for them. Eventually Sheriff McMillian agreed to come out to my house and spend some time here, seeing what I saw. That’s when the sting operations began out of my house. During a sting, on an especially busy night, the police had 8 prostitutes handcuffed to my back fence and 20 John cars were parked in the empty lot across the street waiting to be towed. My friends from Arlington, where we moved from, would come over to my house in the evening, pop some popcorn, and watch the show. It was their own personal cops movie. 

What kind of changes have you seen in the Historic District since 1974?  

I had a special moment at the July 4^th Throwback Baseball game in Klutho Park a couple years ago. As I stood on a slight hill overlooking the park, it was like my vision had come true. It was a red, white & blue day. People dressed in the old time baseball uniforms with the small vintage gloves. Families gathering. Bicycles. Tricycles. Dogs on leashes.  I asked Louise DeSpain, the Executive Director of SPAR at that time, to come over for a second. I told her that it took 35 years, a whole generation, to see my vision come to life, and here it was. It was a special moment.  

But in general, when I moved here, you didn’t see people jogging, pushing baby strollers, or walking dogs. In fact, dogs on leashes were a rarity back then. They just ran wild. You didn’t see very many cars parked along the curb or in drive ways either. No one could afford them. What I did see a lot was Pic N’ Save shopping carts, because the people that lived in rooming houses used them to move their belongings week to week after they were evicted. Got kicked out of one for not paying rent? No problem, they just moved to the next one down the block with shopping cart in tow. 

Of course, all that’s changed. You just have to be still and listen to realize the change. It’s quiet. The constant drama and noise isn’t there now. It’s just a nice place to live. Now, you have a neighborhood that believes in itself and likes itself, where before no one really cared about it, including the people that lived here. 

What do you enjoy about the neighborhood now?  

I like the structures that have been renovated, that are still being saved and restored, and the businesses that have opened here. Those are some of the finer things that I enjoy.  Besides the charm and visual uniqueness of the neighborhood, I think the sense of community here is special. You don’t find many neighborhoods that show a great interest in one another. People look out for each other here. Neighbors become genuine friends, not just the person that lives next door. People in other areas can go years without knowing their neighbors, but here you can get as involved with the community and the people that share it with you as you like. I think it’s a special place.   

Have you participated in neighborhood events or organizations through the years?  

I’ve been heavily involved in SPAR up until the past few years. As I mentioned before, I was a charter member. I was also a charter member of the Springfield Area Merchants And Business Association (SAMBA). So I’ve been involved in quite a bit. 

What would you still like to see change? 

Main Street is #1. Main Street is the artery of our neighborhood, and it’s the impression most outsiders have of our neighborhood. Getting more businesses on Main Street is the most important change yet to come, because the community has unmet needs. More dining, entertainment, retail, and work space. We need more of it. Besides that, just more recreational activities and more structures rehabilitated and put to good use. We’re in a great location relative to the rest of Jacksonville, especially close to Downtown, and the public transit is better in our neighborhood than most others, so good things will continue to happen for us. 

What advice would you have for someone considering the Springfield Historic District? 

Find someone that lives here, or that is familiar with the neighborhood, to give you a tour. Use a local realtor that lives in the neighborhood. You know, sometimes you could drive through, look at parts of Main Street or 8^th Street, notice a few boarded up houses and form an opinion that it’s not a good place to live. That would be a shame. Someone that knows the neighborhood can show you what’s what, who’s who, what’s changed, etc. They can tell you who owns those boarded up houses and what the plan is for them. They can explain that while some parts of 8^th Street do have issues, most of it doesn’t. They can let you know about all the social activities in the neighborhood organized by residents, like the Mommies Club, Woman’s Club, First Fridays parties, etc. I think that’s the very best thing about living here: your neighbors can become friends, and you can become as integrated into the community as you want to be.