A Look Inside Springfield's Jaxbrickhouse

Published March 29, 2016 in Development - MetroJacksonville.com

Overlooking Springfield Park and downtown Jacksonville, the Jacobs Apartment building was constructed during the renaissance of Jacksonville during the first decade after the Great Fire of 1901. According to the February edition of the Springfield Sampler, the six unit, three-story building was developed by Eva and Henry Jacobs in either 1906 or 1911. Early tenants included a Jacksonville-born actor named Charles H. Weston. Between 1912 and 1917, Weston acted in, director, or produced more than 65 films. In 1913, Weston was also credited with directing The Battle of Waterloo, the first epic film in England.

Earlier this month, new owners Sue Kowalewski and Bart Whaley hosted an open house to show the recent restoration of this historic structure. Kowalewski has also given the Jacobs a new name, the Jaxbrickhouse. The name is a tribute to longtime WGN-TV Chicago Cubs play-by-play announcer, Jack Brickhouse, tying together Sue's Chicago and Jacksonville roots. Here's a look at Springfield's latest restoration project at 115 West 2nd Street.

Article by Ennis Davis, AICP. Photographs by Bill Hoff

This article can be found at: http://dev.metrojacksonville.com/article/2016-mar-a-look-inside-springfields-jaxbrickhouse