LaVILLA, Fla. – In the coming days, the city of Jacksonville’s Land Use and Zoning Committee will consider two ordinances that, if passed, would designate a pair of buildings in the historic LaVilla neighborhood as local landmarks, including the famous “Whetstonian” building owned by folk artist, Walter Whetstone, and the Atlanta Life Insurance Company Building next door on North Jefferson Street.
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Chances are, people driving through downtown have had their curiosity sparked by the Whetstonian’s colorful, eclectic exterior. According to the proposed ordinance, the building wedged between State and Union Streets was constructed in 1927 but gained its place in Jacksonville history after Whetstone purchased it in 1998.
Following that purchase, Whetstone famously added hundreds of artifacts, antiques, and art pieces. Each item was selectively displayed both inside and outside the building.
Dr. Wayne Wood, Historian-At-Large for the Jacksonville Historical Society, said Whetstone turned an otherwise ordinary building into something unique and magical.
“He was a folk artist, he accumulated all this stuff,” Dr. Wood said. “And I say ‘stuff’, some of it was beautiful, some of it was just trash. But he arranged it in beautiful ways. He famously said, ‘If the Smithsonian could be named after Smithson, then we’ll name this building after me.’ And he called it, ‘the Whetstonian.’”
The proposed ordinances say designating the buildings as landmarks means the Jacksonville Historic Preservation Commission would need to approve any alterations, renovations, or noticeable changes affecting the landmark or its site. Dr. Wood said the Atlanta Life Insurance Company was also a Whetstone masterpiece.
“His collection was so big, it wouldn’t fit in that two-story building, so he bought the building behind it and expanded that and much of the artwork,” Dr. Wood said. “He did mosaic tiles and things that are still easily visible as you drive by on Jefferson Street.”
Even before Whetstone put his special touch on the project, the building had quite a history in the LaVilla neighborhood. After it was constructed, Dr. Wood said the Whetstonian building served as a grocery store for over 50 years before transforming into a nightclub.
“But that was well after LaVilla’s great blues and jazz era,” Dr. Wood said. “So, it wasn’t one of the famous jazz clubs on Ashley Street, but it was a building in the heart of the LaVilla neighborhood that everybody was familiar with.”
Dr. Wood said these unique stories and the one-of-a-kind treasures within the historic buildings are what truly make Jacksonville special.
“Jacksonville stories are made with people like Walter Whetstone, who are unique individuals that did something very unusual and unique and added to the culture and vibrancy of our community, particularly the LaVilla area,” Dr. Wood said. “So, little buildings like this that may not look like much from the outside are very important memories of this important part of Jacksonville’s history.”
He continued, “They are the fabric that made LaVilla what it was.”
Dr. Wood added the Whetstonian was also featured on an episode of the History Channel’s “American Pickers.”
The ordinances are on the agenda for the Land Use and Zoning Committee the day after Election Day.
