JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Just a few blocks from Riverside, a row of century-old bungalows in Mixon Town is in danger of being lost to history.
Oneida Bungalow Court, a 24-home cluster built in 1925, was once a centerpiece of West Lewisville and a thriving Black working-class neighborhood. The Florida Trust for Historic Preservation recently named it one of the 11 most endangered historic sites in the state.
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Owner Spencer Fletcher — a house painter who says he believes in preserving history — estimates it would take at least $1.5 million to overhaul the property.
He’s asking the city to provide basic infrastructure upgrades, including sidewalks, curbs, stormwater drainage and street lighting.
“Historically, it was a freedman’s neighborhood, set up for emancipated slaves in the 1870s,” Fletcher said, adding that decades of neglect, rising insurance costs and dwindling rental income have pushed the court to a breaking point.
Fletcher says he has repeatedly requested city help with infrastructure and explored funding options, but hasn’t found a workable path. “The answers I got from City Council were: it’s too expensive. It’s not in the budget,” he said.
Council member Jimmy Peluso told Action News Jax that Fletcher did not accept an option the city offered. Peluso would not specify the option but said a revolving loan program is available and that he “also offered something else, but it required rents to be at least 60% AMI.”
Fletcher said Oneida is one of only a few surviving bungalow courts of its era in Jacksonville — and the last remaining cluster of historic homes tied to West Lewisville. The fears that without public support, the property could be sold and demolished.
“All eyes are on the stadium downtown … and we have a cultural and historical landmark that I’m attempting to save,” Fletcher said.
He’s started an online push to raise awareness and support.
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