Just when you think there’s nothing you haven’t done in Jacksonville already… Have you ever wondered what that old, rusted-out building is underneath the Matthews Bridge? Thanks to DOCOMOMO (International working party for the documentation and conversation of buildings, sites and neighborhoods of the modern movement) of Jacksonville’s tour day, I was able to wander inside and photograph one of Jacksonville’s urban decay treasures, the Ford Motors Co. Assembly Plant. Back in its hay-day of the ’20s and ’30s, it used to produce Model T Ford vehicles. Thanks to J. G. Braddock Sr for uploading this beautiful photo of the plant when it was functional and running:

Here’s a small blurb from the DOCOMOMO website:
“The former Ford Motor Company assembly plant was designed by Albert Kahn and built in 1924. Kahn is best-known for his factory designs, including many built for the Soviet automobile industry. Jacksonville’s Model T plant features the massive scale, lack of decoration, and use of modern materials demonstrated in many of Kahn’s other industrial buildings. The building is presently in poor shape and is being used for light industrial purposes and trailer storage. Its beautiful site on the St. Johns River makes it a candidate for a number of possible reuse opportunities, most notably as a cruise ship terminal.”
Today was the perfect day for the tour… the early morning light seeped through the rusted panes making the building into a cathedral of urbay decay. Here are a few of my favorite photos from the day.


Thanks again to DOCOMOMO for bringing us in for a free tour today to appreciate these little gems of history in Jacksonville, Florida. If you’d like to see more photos from the plant, check out this article from Metro Jacksonville.
-Ruth
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