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Entertainment Industry in Old LaVilla

LaVilla is a neighborhood in Jacksonville that helped African Americans grow in the entertainment industry during the late 19th and early 20th century.

Summary

A black male named Patrick Henry Chappelle moved to Jacksonville and opened the first black-owned theater in the neighborhood. Places like the Ritz Theater and the Richmond Hotel encouraged the progression of music and performing for African Americans in LaVilla at the time.

History

LaVilla was booming with life when Jacksonville was annexed in 1887. The city of Jacksonville decided to put the main railway through LaVilla because of its convenient location, this lead to the creation of its first red light on Ward Street. Ward is not the only historically important street in LaVIilla, another one is Ashley Street which was home to the largest black entertainment road in Jacksonville. Establishments like the Ritz Theater and the Richmond Hotel hosted many famed jazz and blues singers like Billie Holliday and Louis Armstrong.

The great fire of 1901 started in LaVilla. It began when a spark from the Cleveland Fiber Factory set Spanish moss on fire. After about eight hours, it burned down 2,000 buidings. In the end, 2,368 building were destroyed. The Great Fire was named the most destructive event in Jacksonville's history. After five months, the city of Jacksonville gain about 1,000 building permits to start rebuilding what was destroyed.

Features

The Ritz Theater and Museum

It was designed by Jefferson David Powell, a Jacksonville local, and built in 1929. At the time, Powell designed many buildings in downtown Jacksonville. The Ritz was a place that African Americans went to for entertainment. Since La Villa had the largest African American community in the south, better known as “Harlem in the South” during its prime, many African American entertainers performed at the Ritz Theater as a stop on their tours.

The Richmond Hotel

This hotel was built in 1909 and was one of the finest hotels in downtown Jacksonville. Many famous African-American entertainers stayed there during the Jim Crow Era. It permanent closed in the 1970's after desegregation. it no longer was for blacks, anyone could stay there and the black people left the town in hopes to reach their dreams.