HISTORY OF MURRAY HILL

Murray Hill is another historic neighborhood in the midst of gentrification.  Platted in 1906, incorporated as a separate city in 1916 and annexed by Jacksonville in 1925, the neighborhood consists of a mix of commercial and residential structures with a diverse collection of architectural details that make it stand out among the urban core neighborhoods.

Edgewood Avenue is the main commercial corridor into Murray Hill.  It was originally called Murray Hill Avenue and was platted with a wide right-of-way for the creation of a landscaped parkway similar to Springfield’s Main Street.  As early as the 1930’s, the strip was a popular commercial district with a large number of specialty shops and four grocery stores. 

Edgewood’s peak years were between the late 1950’s and mid 1970’s.  Once called the "Avenue of Progress," Edgewood Avenue serves as Historic Murray Hill’s main pedestrian friendly commercial thoroughfare.

The First Block business corridor improvements were completed on the east

side of the Murray Hill Town Center, in 2005.  This project provided right of way improvements to about 2 blocks along Edgewood Avenue including brick paver sidewalks and cross walks, antique-style lighting, new medians, and extensive land scaping.  This was accomplished by the MHPA, Murray Hill Preservation Association.

Architectural Styles:

While most homes are single story, there are several two story residences.  Unlike most of Jacksonville, nearly every home in Murray Hill has its own set of interesting brick detailing.  The diverse collection of historic Bungalow-style housing remains a key element of unique atmosphere found in Murray Hill.  The prominent use of brick as a construction material in the residential areas south of Edgewood Avenue provides a lot of character to the neighborhood.  Frame construction dominates the areas north of Edgewood. 

Another unique quality of Murray Hill is the size of its houses.   They are typically smaller then those in other local historic districts, making the area much more affordable for first time home buyers.  Most of the intersections in the district still feature the original sign posts.  Some of the homes feature architecture that is unusual for Jacksonville and there is some new construction built in the neighborhood that is in keeping with the historic architectural styles.

Commercial Development:

The Murray Hill Town Center is a quaint shopping and dining area that offers so much charm and personality - you’ll fall in love with it.  Some of my favorite spots are Moon River Pizza, The Wine Warehouse, The Dreamette for ice cream, the new billiards place in the old Wood’s Pharmacy Building, and of course the Edgewood Bakery.  The Edgewood Bakery is a Murray Hill landmark.  The "from-scratch" operation opened in 1947 and has been in business for over 60 years.

Parks:

There are two major parks in the Murray Hill residential district.  In the northeast section of Murray Hill is the first of two heavily wooded open areas.  It’s located just west of McDuff and bounded by Dellwood Ave., Plum Street, and Day Ave. It’s a beautiful park with many large Pine trees and surrounded by homes.  

The second open area, covering nearly four blocks, Murray Hill Four Corner’s Park is heavily wooded and completely surrounded by homes as well.  The passive park takes its name from the property’s location at the four corners of the Lawnview Street and Lamboll Avenue intersection.  It’s located in the Murray Hill Heights area of west Jacksonville.  Murray Hill Heights is a 1907 replat of the northern section of the Edgewood subdivision platted in 1884.  The City acquired the park property in six deeds between 1925 and 1939.  With input and assistance from the MHPA, the City completed an improvement project in 1995 that included a lighted walking and jogging trail, new benches, irrigation spigots, and trash receptacles.

Location:

Murray Hill offers a fantastic location neighboring the Riverside and Avondale neighborhoods, split between three fantastic shopping and dining areas, not to mention its own Murray Hill Town Center.  Just a quick drive away to the east is the Riverside Market Square, to the southeast are the "Shoppes of Avondale," and to the south is Roosevelt Square.  

Murray Hill is just minutes away from the Downtown area with easy access to I-10 east or west, access north on Cassat Avenue,  access east on Park Street, and easy access north or south on Roosevelt Boulevard.

Churches:

The two most notable churches would be The Murray Hill Presbyterian Church on Post Street and The Murray Hill Baptist Church on Post Street.

Schools:

Constructed in 1916, the Ruth N. Upson Elementary School carries on the Bungalow theme of the neighborhood.  There are two public schools and two parochial schools in the district with another seven private or "magnet" school options for residents.

Public:

            Ruth N. Upson Elementary

            1090 Dancy Street

            Hyde Park Elementary

            5300 Park Street

Private:

            St. Mathews Catholic School

            1767 Blanding Blvd.

            Chosen Vessels

            4541 Shirley Ave.

Additional Private School Options nearby:

Fishweir Elementary (magnet), in Avondale

John Stockton Elementary (magnet), in Ortega Forest

Central Riverside Elementary (magnet), in Riverside

St. Paul’s Catholic Elementary, in Riverside

Riverside Presbyterian Day School, in Riverside

St. Marks Episcopal Day School, in Ortega

Wayman Academy of the Arts, in Lakeshore

To check out the entire list of "magnet school" options, go to www.magnetprograms.com