• About
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Submit Story Ideas
Subscribe
The Coastal
  • Development
    The Phoenix Bar & Bowling, Jacksonville, FL

    4 Older Neighborhoods in Jax with Big Potential

    Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday

    Building Up Jax: Beach Bowl making a comeback

    Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday

    Building Up Jax: Rooms To Go coming to Town Center area

    Dochi, Jacksonville, FL

    Japanese Donut Pop-Up Shop Dochi Coming to Town Center

    Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday

    Building Up Jax: Concert venue, rooftop bar proposed downtown

    Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday

    Building Up Jax: Margaritaville Hotel opens in Jax Beach

    Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday

    Building Up Jax: Berkman Plaza II (finally) coming down for redevelopment

    New Renderings Show Bright Future for Laura Street Trio

    New Renderings Show Bright Future for Laura Street Trio

    Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday

    Building Up Jax: JWB Real Estate Capital eyes two adaptive reuse projects downtown

  • History
    • All
    • Jax Evolved
    The Phoenix Bar & Bowling, Jacksonville, FL

    4 Older Neighborhoods in Jax with Big Potential

    Stanton High School Jacksonville FL

    Remembering the Old Stanton Normal School

    Snyder Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church, Jacksonville, FL

    Story of a Building: Snyder Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church

    Levy's department store, Jacksonville, FL

    Levy’s Department Store Once Dressed Jacksonville’s Elite

    Skinners' Dairy milk retail huts, Jacksonville, FL

    Remembering Hardwick & Lee’s Distinctive Skinners’ Dairy Huts

    VyStar Tower, Jacksonville, FL

    Story of a Building: VyStar Tower

    Joseph E. Lee Jacksonville's first black attorney

    Joseph E. Lee Was Jacksonville’s First Black Lawyer – and He Didn’t Stop There

    Jacksonville Public Library

    Story of a Building: Jacksonville Main Library

    Riverplace Tower, Jacksonville FL

    Story of a Building: Riverplace Tower

  • Culture
    • All
    • Art
    • Hidden Gems
    • Local Quirks
    • Music
    • Shopping
    “Jax River Jams” Concert Series Coming to Riverfront Plaza in April

    Sugar Ray, Quad City DJ’s Highlight Jax River Jams Lineup

    Art Notes - Jacksonville, FL

    ART NOTES: Jazz Discovery Series 2021 Kicks off Friday Night

    “Jax River Jams” Concert Series Coming to Riverfront Plaza in April

    “Jax River Jams” Concert Series Coming to Riverfront Plaza in April

    Joseph E. Lee Jacksonville's first black attorney

    Joseph E. Lee Was Jacksonville’s First Black Lawyer – and He Didn’t Stop There

    Confederate monument removed in Jacksonville, FL

    5 Biggest Local Stories of 2020

    Jacksonville Zoo

    A Brief History of the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens

    MOSH Genesis rendering

    MOSH Releases Conceptual Renderings for Proposed Northbank Museum

    LaRose Women's Footwear, Jacksonville, FL

    Remembering LaRose, Jacksonville’s Famous Women’s Shoe Store

    The Homestead Restaurant, Jacksonville Beach, FL

    Long Before Taco Lu, There Was The Homestead Restaurant

  • Community
    Jax-Based SipClean Debuts New Canned, Non-Alcoholic Rosé

    Jax-Based SipClean Debuts New Canned, Non-Alcoholic Rosé

    Cowford Chophouse Partners with JAMS for 2021 MOO-VE IT 5K

    Cowford Chophouse Partners with JAMS for 2021 MOO-VE IT 5K

    Taverna Meals for Medical Workers Jacksonville Baptist Health

    Taverna Gives Back to First Responders with “Meals for Medical Workers”

    Local Companies Anact, SurfearNEGRA Join Forces to Address Aquatic Inequality

    Local Companies Anact, SurfearNEGRA Join Forces to Address Aquatic Inequality

    The Pitman Sisters, TikTok video stars from Jacksonville, FL

    How “The Pitman Sisters” Became TikTok Famous During COVID-19

    Local Women in Cannabis, Jacksonville, FL

    Breaking the “Grass Ceiling”: Local Women in Cannabis

    Urban Mining Jacksonville FL

    How Urban Mining Utilizes Donations to Provide Computers for Local Kids

    Cowford Chophouse Teams Up with Jacksonville Arts & Music School for 4th Annual MOO-VE IT 5K

    Cowford Chophouse Raises Over $18,000 for Jacksonville Arts & Music School

    COVID-19 Testing homeless population in Jacksonville, FL

    Entire Jacksonville Homeless Shelter Population Tests Negative for COVID-19

  • Food + Drink
    • All
    • Beer
    • Reviews
    Dochi, Jacksonville, FL

    Japanese Donut Pop-Up Shop Dochi Coming to Town Center

    Jax-Based SipClean Debuts New Canned, Non-Alcoholic Rosé

    Jax-Based SipClean Debuts New Canned, Non-Alcoholic Rosé

    Taverna Meals for Medical Workers Jacksonville Baptist Health

    Taverna Gives Back to First Responders with “Meals for Medical Workers”

    The Homestead Restaurant, Jacksonville Beach, FL

    Long Before Taco Lu, There Was The Homestead Restaurant

    Norikase Jacksonville

    BENTO Group to Debut Norikase Concept in Jacksonville

    Chef Tom Gray Introduces Line of Grocery Store Culinary Products

    Chef Tom Gray Introduces Line of Grocery Store Culinary Products

    Palace Saloon, Fernandina Beach, FL

    Florida’s Oldest Bar, the Palace Saloon, Can Be Found on Amelia Island

    Farms in Jacksonville, FL

    5 Great Local Farms in Jacksonville

    The Volstead, Jacksonville, FL

    HIDDEN GEMS: The Volstead, Downtown Jacksonville’s Speakeasy

  • More
    • Hidden Gems
    • Local Quirks
    • Lists
    • Sports
    • 904VIEWS
    • Seven Bridges
    • Music
No Result
View All Result
The Coastal
  • Development
    The Phoenix Bar & Bowling, Jacksonville, FL

    4 Older Neighborhoods in Jax with Big Potential

    Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday

    Building Up Jax: Beach Bowl making a comeback

    Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday

    Building Up Jax: Rooms To Go coming to Town Center area

    Dochi, Jacksonville, FL

    Japanese Donut Pop-Up Shop Dochi Coming to Town Center

    Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday

    Building Up Jax: Concert venue, rooftop bar proposed downtown

    Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday

    Building Up Jax: Margaritaville Hotel opens in Jax Beach

    Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday

    Building Up Jax: Berkman Plaza II (finally) coming down for redevelopment

    New Renderings Show Bright Future for Laura Street Trio

    New Renderings Show Bright Future for Laura Street Trio

    Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday

    Building Up Jax: JWB Real Estate Capital eyes two adaptive reuse projects downtown

  • History
    • All
    • Jax Evolved
    The Phoenix Bar & Bowling, Jacksonville, FL

    4 Older Neighborhoods in Jax with Big Potential

    Stanton High School Jacksonville FL

    Remembering the Old Stanton Normal School

    Snyder Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church, Jacksonville, FL

    Story of a Building: Snyder Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church

    Levy's department store, Jacksonville, FL

    Levy’s Department Store Once Dressed Jacksonville’s Elite

    Skinners' Dairy milk retail huts, Jacksonville, FL

    Remembering Hardwick & Lee’s Distinctive Skinners’ Dairy Huts

    VyStar Tower, Jacksonville, FL

    Story of a Building: VyStar Tower

    Joseph E. Lee Jacksonville's first black attorney

    Joseph E. Lee Was Jacksonville’s First Black Lawyer – and He Didn’t Stop There

    Jacksonville Public Library

    Story of a Building: Jacksonville Main Library

    Riverplace Tower, Jacksonville FL

    Story of a Building: Riverplace Tower

  • Culture
    • All
    • Art
    • Hidden Gems
    • Local Quirks
    • Music
    • Shopping
    “Jax River Jams” Concert Series Coming to Riverfront Plaza in April

    Sugar Ray, Quad City DJ’s Highlight Jax River Jams Lineup

    Art Notes - Jacksonville, FL

    ART NOTES: Jazz Discovery Series 2021 Kicks off Friday Night

    “Jax River Jams” Concert Series Coming to Riverfront Plaza in April

    “Jax River Jams” Concert Series Coming to Riverfront Plaza in April

    Joseph E. Lee Jacksonville's first black attorney

    Joseph E. Lee Was Jacksonville’s First Black Lawyer – and He Didn’t Stop There

    Confederate monument removed in Jacksonville, FL

    5 Biggest Local Stories of 2020

    Jacksonville Zoo

    A Brief History of the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens

    MOSH Genesis rendering

    MOSH Releases Conceptual Renderings for Proposed Northbank Museum

    LaRose Women's Footwear, Jacksonville, FL

    Remembering LaRose, Jacksonville’s Famous Women’s Shoe Store

    The Homestead Restaurant, Jacksonville Beach, FL

    Long Before Taco Lu, There Was The Homestead Restaurant

  • Community
    Jax-Based SipClean Debuts New Canned, Non-Alcoholic Rosé

    Jax-Based SipClean Debuts New Canned, Non-Alcoholic Rosé

    Cowford Chophouse Partners with JAMS for 2021 MOO-VE IT 5K

    Cowford Chophouse Partners with JAMS for 2021 MOO-VE IT 5K

    Taverna Meals for Medical Workers Jacksonville Baptist Health

    Taverna Gives Back to First Responders with “Meals for Medical Workers”

    Local Companies Anact, SurfearNEGRA Join Forces to Address Aquatic Inequality

    Local Companies Anact, SurfearNEGRA Join Forces to Address Aquatic Inequality

    The Pitman Sisters, TikTok video stars from Jacksonville, FL

    How “The Pitman Sisters” Became TikTok Famous During COVID-19

    Local Women in Cannabis, Jacksonville, FL

    Breaking the “Grass Ceiling”: Local Women in Cannabis

    Urban Mining Jacksonville FL

    How Urban Mining Utilizes Donations to Provide Computers for Local Kids

    Cowford Chophouse Teams Up with Jacksonville Arts & Music School for 4th Annual MOO-VE IT 5K

    Cowford Chophouse Raises Over $18,000 for Jacksonville Arts & Music School

    COVID-19 Testing homeless population in Jacksonville, FL

    Entire Jacksonville Homeless Shelter Population Tests Negative for COVID-19

  • Food + Drink
    • All
    • Beer
    • Reviews
    Dochi, Jacksonville, FL

    Japanese Donut Pop-Up Shop Dochi Coming to Town Center

    Jax-Based SipClean Debuts New Canned, Non-Alcoholic Rosé

    Jax-Based SipClean Debuts New Canned, Non-Alcoholic Rosé

    Taverna Meals for Medical Workers Jacksonville Baptist Health

    Taverna Gives Back to First Responders with “Meals for Medical Workers”

    The Homestead Restaurant, Jacksonville Beach, FL

    Long Before Taco Lu, There Was The Homestead Restaurant

    Norikase Jacksonville

    BENTO Group to Debut Norikase Concept in Jacksonville

    Chef Tom Gray Introduces Line of Grocery Store Culinary Products

    Chef Tom Gray Introduces Line of Grocery Store Culinary Products

    Palace Saloon, Fernandina Beach, FL

    Florida’s Oldest Bar, the Palace Saloon, Can Be Found on Amelia Island

    Farms in Jacksonville, FL

    5 Great Local Farms in Jacksonville

    The Volstead, Jacksonville, FL

    HIDDEN GEMS: The Volstead, Downtown Jacksonville’s Speakeasy

  • More
    • Hidden Gems
    • Local Quirks
    • Lists
    • Sports
    • 904VIEWS
    • Seven Bridges
    • Music
No Result
View All Result
The Coastal
No Result
View All Result

Finding a New Purpose for the Snyder Memorial Church Building

by The Coastal
June 20, 2019 - Updated on February 9, 2021
in Development
Snyder Church Building, Jacksonville, FL
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

With downtown Jacksonville seemingly poised for a renaissance in the near future, every piece of unoccupied downtown property is crucial.

This is especially true for buildings in prime locations, like along Laura Street or Hemming Park.

The historic Snyder Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church building happens to fall into both categories, sitting at the corner of Laura and Monroe streets right next to Hemming Park. And for the past fifteen years, it has mostly sat unused despite its prime location.

The Snyder building, as is the case with so many of downtown Jax’s buildings, has quite a bit of history to it. It was built in 1903 to replace the former home of what was then Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church, which had been destroyed in the Great Fire of 1901.

Its striking Gothic Revival form was designed by architect J.H.W. Hawkins, who also designed the building that now houses Cowford Chophouse.

The church operated for several decades in the heart of downtown. And, despite its mostly-white congregation, it also played a central role in the city’s civil rights movement.

You MightAlso Like

The Phoenix Bar & Bowling, Jacksonville, FL

4 Older Neighborhoods in Jax with Big Potential

Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday

Building Up Jax: Beach Bowl making a comeback

Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday

Building Up Jax: Rooms To Go coming to Town Center area

Dochi, Jacksonville, FL

Japanese Donut Pop-Up Shop Dochi Coming to Town Center

The church opened its doors to a committee of civil rights leaders and city officials tasked with making sense of the chaos that ensued following the disgraceful Ax Handle Saturday racial riots of 1960 that saw a mob of middle-aged white men attack sit-in protestors at lunch counters surrounding Hemming Park. The ultimately successful discussions set a path forward for the community and for the advancement of civil rights in Jacksonville.

By the 1970s, the church had lost much of its congregation to the suburbs as downtown lost its luster following the riots and several major department store closures. It ended its weekly services and would eventually shut down altogether by the ‘90s.

In 2000, the building was purchased by St. Johns River City Band, once the “official band of Jacksonville.” The band held on to the location for four years before selling it to the city.

Since then, the city has owned the church property and has utilized it sparingly for festivals and other big events. In the past few years, the city has indicated a desire to sell the building.

It hasn’t found any takers, and with a downtown renaissance looming, the pressure may soon be on to figure out what to do with the property.

Thankfully, the city’s current preferred option for unused historic buildings – demolishing them unceremoniously – is off the table here. The Snyder church building is listed as a historic landmark and is in far too good of condition for any exemption to that designation.

But for what purpose should the building be used?

One recent proposal focused on capitalizing on the building’s civil rights connections and turning it into a museum that honors civil rights leaders from the Jacksonville area – people like A. Philip Randolph and James Weldon Johnson.

It could also make for a great live performance venue, as it did briefly for St. Johns River City Band. The building has hosted Jazz Fest acts before and already has the infrastructure in place to be utilized as a small, intimate venue for live music or a theater troupe.

What do you see as the ideal future for this historic downtown building? Let us know your thoughts!

Share43TweetSendShareShare
Previous Post

5 Interesting Stats About Jacksonville’s Residents

Next Post

Remembering Ray Charles’ Northeast Florida Roots

The Coastal

The Coastal is a local magazine in Jacksonville, FL, founded in 2015 to bring you stories about the past, present, and future of the First Coast.

Related Posts

The Phoenix Bar & Bowling, Jacksonville, FL

4 Older Neighborhoods in Jax with Big Potential

Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday

Building Up Jax: Beach Bowl making a comeback

Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday

Building Up Jax: Rooms To Go coming to Town Center area

Dochi, Jacksonville, FL

Japanese Donut Pop-Up Shop Dochi Coming to Town Center

Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday

Building Up Jax: Concert venue, rooftop bar proposed downtown

Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday

Building Up Jax: Margaritaville Hotel opens in Jax Beach

Next Post
Remembering Ray Charles’ Northeast Florida Roots

Remembering Ray Charles’ Northeast Florida Roots

Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Development and Construction News Every Saturday - The Coastal

Building Up Jax: Panera Bread, Bento Asian Kitchen Coming to Brooklyn

Cody Saul, Jacksonville Sharks (The Coastal / Nathan Woods)

Sharks Set Franchise Record in Home Victory Against Streets

Comments 1

  1. Pingback: Ax Handle Saturday in Jacksonville, Florida, 1960 – Brewminate

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

LATEST POSTS

The Phoenix Bar & Bowling, Jacksonville, FL
Development

4 Older Neighborhoods in Jax with Big Potential

In recent years, Jacksonville has seen several of its older, less glamorous neighborhoods experience something of a renaissance. Once-struggling communities...

Read more
“Jax River Jams” Concert Series Coming to Riverfront Plaza in April

Sugar Ray, Quad City DJ’s Highlight Jax River Jams Lineup

Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday

Building Up Jax: Beach Bowl making a comeback

Stanton High School Jacksonville FL

Remembering the Old Stanton Normal School

Art Notes - Jacksonville, FL

ART NOTES: Jazz Discovery Series 2021 Kicks off Friday Night

The Coastal

© 2015-2020 Cowford Media / The Coastal Jacksonville LLC. All rights reserved.

Browse by Section

  • About
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Submit Story Ideas

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Development
  • Culture
  • History
    • Jax Evolved
  • In the Community
  • Food + Drink
  • Sports
  • About
    • Contact Us
    • Submit Your Story
    • Advertise

© 2015-2020 Cowford Media / The Coastal Jacksonville LLC. All rights reserved.