Ever heard of the Alachua County Library District's Heritage Collection? No?! The Heritage Collection consists of over 1,100 historical photographs from all aspects of daily life in the Alachua County area. Treat yourself to a journey of amazing historical detail and profound human interest through this annotated photographic exposé of the Alachua region spanning the 1870s through the 1970s. Experience and understand local history in a different way, through the faces and places of the past that still influence the present.
This month we'll highlight photographs of buildings from the collection and include present day photos of what the buildings look like now.
Rosa B. Williams Center - 524 NW 1st St., 1980s and 2022
The Rosa B. Williams Center is a participatory arts space. The center features a gallery space, floating dance floor, a percussive dance floor, and a total of four rooms available for lessons, classes and events offered by participatory art groups. The center is built on the site of the Union Academy, a historical African-American school established in 1865, which served the community for almost 60 years.
Gainesville City Hall - 200 E. University Ave., 1969 and 2023
Dedicated on April 14, 1969, it had 10,000 feet of carpeting plus central heating and air conditioning. This was a sharp contrast to the old city hall that was heated with a boiler and furnace and cooled by leaving the wooden doors open. The architects for the City Hall were Myrl Hanes, Dan Branch, and David Reaves. In 2023, the City Commission approved a proposed demolition and rebuild of the City Hall Plaza Ponds to eliminate water features in favor of paved pedestrian areas and Florida-friendly landscaped greenspace.
UF Newell Hall - 1700 Stadium Rd., 1950 and 2018
Built as the Florida Experiment Station in 1910, Newell Hall is the third oldest building on the University of Florida campus. It was the link between the academic mission of the land-grant university and practical agricultural services to Florida farmers. In 1944, the building was renovated and named after Dr. Wilmon E. Newell, a director of the Station and provost for Agriculture. The hall fell into disrepair and was vacated in 2012. In 2014, the UF student government lobbied to have it turned into a deluxe 24/7 study space, which opened in 2017, with a price tag of $17 million.
Federal Courthouse – 401 SE 1st St., 1960s and 2019
The Federal Building and Post Office was completed in 1964 under the designs of architect Reynolds, Smith & Lee. It cost $2 million to build and a key feature of the courthouse is the Great Seal Mottoes signifying strength, duration, and the eye of providence. It is still in use today by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida and until 2011 was the main post office for downtown Gainesville.
Florida Theater - 233 W. University Ave., 1940s and 2022
The Florida Theater first opened in 1928 as a movie theater. It has been a concert and music hall, a dance club, and a performing arts center. In 1974, it was renamed The Great Southern Music Hall featuring popular bands. It has been renovated a few times and in 1990 movie seats were returned and a dance floor installed. The building has had many names: The Palace, Element Night Club, Forum and Venue. In 2017, The Florida Theater was bought by a local club promoter and is currently under renovation.
Seagle Building - 408 W. University Ave., 1947 and 2021
The Seagle Building was built in the 1920s, originally to be named the Dixie Hotel. It became known as the Hotel Kelley in reference to the owner, McKee Kelley. Once the 10th floor was poured, the economic crisis bankrupted the project and the building was left unfinished for over a decade. In the mid-1930s Jacksonville entrepreneur, Georgia Seagle, finished the building with help from UF and government funding. She named it after her brother John F. Seagle. UF used the building for many years, once housing the Florida State Museum. In the 1960s, the museum moved, and the building was abandoned. In 1983, the building was remodeled and contains both commercial and residential space.