LaVilla
In 1887, the town of LaVilla, with more than 3,000 residents, was merged into Downtown Jacksonville. Ten years later, this new section of Downtown became a bustling industrial and commercial area due to the new railway. With the construction of the Union Terminal in 1919, LaVilla soon became a major transportation center for Jacksonville. Along with becoming the transportation and commercial hub for the region, LaVilla was also home to Jacksonville’s 
African-American community. For nearly a century, LaVilla saw the growth of major African-American civic, social, church and business groups which are evident in some of the historic buildings still standing. LaVilla was also a cultural center, with entertainers like Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald and Ray Charles frequently visiting this jazz hotspot.
Also, notable to the African-American community during this period, is James Weldon Johnson an American author, politician and early civil rights advocate. Johnson was born in Jacksonville in 1871 and attended Edwin M. Stanton School, an African-American school in Jacksonville. After graduating from Atlanta University, Johnson returned to Jacksonville as prinicipal of Stanton school. Johnson converted the Stanton from an elementary school to a twelve year school for African-Americans.
