The original James E. Merrill residence at 229 Lafayette Street was part of property that was platted by Louisa R. Johnson in 1869. In that original plat, Lafayette Street was called Louisa Street and East Monroe Street was identified as King Street. The Merrill property was Lot 3, block 63, East Jacksonville. In the 1893 city directory, it lists the Merrill residence on Louisa near King.
From early Florida history, England ceded Florida back to the Spanish in 1783. To encourage American settlers to move into this region, the Spanish government issued land grants. The first American settler to this area was Robert Pritchard, who obtained 450 acres in 1791 from the Spanish Governor. After his death, his heirs abandoned it during the Patriots Revolution in 1812.
In 1816, 200 acres of the Pritchard grant was obtained by Maria Suarez Taylor, widow of Purnal Taylor. After obtaining the land, Mrs. Taylor married Lewis Zacharias Hogans, who was living on the south side of the river. They moved to the north side of the river at the intersection of Forsyth and Hogan Street. In 1821, when the United States acquired Florida, there were a growing number of settlers on the north bank of the river.
By 1822, over 250 people lived in this vicinity. A man named Isaiah D. Hart, moving from his farm on the St. Mary’s River, purchased 18 acres from Lewis Hogans. Hart, along with his neighbors John Brady and Lewis Hogans, donated land for the streets. A surveyor named D. S. H. Miller laid out the streets of the town, a 20-block area. From this survey, Isaiah Hart’s map was made and is the plat of downtown Jacksonville. By 1854, Jacksonville had grown to 30 blocks.
With all the growth in Jacksonville, the Great Fire of 1901 devastated Jacksonville. From that fire, 146 blocks were gone and 2,368 buildings were burned. This fire stimulated growth for Jacksonville into the suburban neighborhoods. By 1903, downtown Jacksonville was rebuilt. Many of those streets were named in honor of the founding individuals through the years who helped build Jacksonville.
Jacksonville’s original main street was Bay. Historians speculate the name because it parallels the harbor, which somewhat resembles a bay; also, there is record of a “fine old bay” tree on a busy waterfront corner. Forsyth was named for General John Forsyth, U.S. Minister of Spain who negotiated this nation’s acquisition of Florida; Adams for Secretary of State, John Quincy Adams, who was influential in getting this territory; Monroe for James Monroe, President at the time of the acquisition; Duval, the first civil Governor of Florida, William P. Duval. Newnan Street was named for Col. Daniel Newnan, who was here with the Patriots and who made the famous campaign against Indian King Payne in Central Florida. Laura and Julia streets were named after the daughters of Isaiah D. Hart, and Ossian Street (now Ocean St.) for his son, Ossian.
In the early Jacksonville business district, Main Street was then called Pine; Hogan Street was named for Lewis Z. Hogans, a city pioneer.
When the town of LaVilla became part of Jacksonville in 1887, Jefferson and Madison streets were named after presidents. Davis and Lee streets were named for Confederate leaders.
On the river near the end of 26th Street was Talleyrand Avenue, named for the Marquis de Talleyrand. He had his winter home there from 1869 to 1873.
Riverside Avenue was originally Commercial Street. F. Francis LeBaron, an engineer who worked on constructing the jetties at the mouth of the river, surveyed, laid out, and named some of the streets in Riverside. Gilmore, Post, Fisk, Lomax and Rosselle are named for engineers who worked with LeBaron.
Forbes Street was named for John M. Forbes, the Boston millionaire for whom Riverside was platted in 1869; McDuff, Knight, Challen, Talbot, Hedrick, are streets in Avondale which honor old Jacksonville families. In Ortega, names of Native American tribes, Ivy League colleges, and architectural columns adorn the streets. Ortega Forest has old English titles, such as King Richard, Prince Edward and Princess Anne among its street names.
Two Southside streets are named for early Jacksonville pioneers: Hendricks Avenue for William Hendricks who received an early Spanish grant in the section, and Flagler, named for Henry M. Flagler, railroad builder and Florida developer.
Philips Highway was named after Judge Henry Bethune Philips, born 1857. His father, Albert Gallatin Philips, was Duval County sheriff from 1833-1839. He built the house in 1854 and operated a plantation on the 450-acre site. He was the son of the original grant owner, Captain Matthew Henry Philips. This property was given to Captain Philips, a retired sea captain from Red Bank, New Jersey, by the Spanish King in recognition of some meritorious service to the Crown. The property was named Red Bank Plantation. From 1820 until after the Civil War, the property was owned consecutively by three of Jacksonville’s most prominent men: Isaiah D. Hart; Isaac Hendricks; and Albert Gallatin Philips. Margaret Hendricks, daughter of Isaac Hendricks, married Albert Philips.
Other names we recognize: Butler Avenue, for Frank H. Butler, father of J. Turner Butler, who has his own boulevard; Foster Drive for Stephen Foster; Franklin Street for Benjamin Franklin; Washington Street for President George Washington and Merrill Court and Road for James E. Merrill, the shipbuilder, and the builder of the Eastlake Victorian home called the James E. Merrill House Museum.
Nancy Gandy | Merrill House Museum Coordinator