THE JAXSON | Shaped by water and time: Historic Oak Haven, Love Grove and Spring Glen

Set on a narrow peninsula shaped by the Arlington River and Big and Little Pottsburg Creeks, the neighborhoods surrounding the intersection of Atlantic and University boulevards hold some of Jacksonville’s oldest continuously occupied homes. These waterways and crossroads have long defined the character of Oak Haven, Love Grove, and Spring Glen.

The following five intersecting facts explore highlights their shared history:

Birthplace of the Woody’s Bar-B-Q chain

Nearly 50 years ago, Woody and Yolanda Mills-Mawman set out to open a restaurant inspired by their love of barbecue and a collection of cherished homemade recipes. Drawing from the South’s time-honored barbecue shack tradition, they created a dining experience built on authenticity, flavor and community. What began as a single restaurant in a former Bono’s Pit Bar-B-Q location in 1980 at 1638 University Blvd. S. has since grown to nine locations across Florida, with three more on the way, and one location in Pennsylvania.

While each Woody’s reflects the unique character of its hometown, every location shares the same commitment to quality. Guests are served the finest cuts of meat, the freshest ingredients, and a menu made entirely from Woody’s original recipes, from the secret homemade BBQ sauce to freshly prepared sides and slow-smoked meats. 

Hope Haven Hospital was once here

The intersection of Atlantic Boulevard and Bartram Road was once the long-time home of Hope Haven Hospital. This institution played a significant role in the history of pediatric care in Northeast Florida. Founded in 1926, Hope Haven began as a small children’s hospital and clinic in North Jacksonville near the Trout River. As the organization grew and demand for pediatric services increased, Hope Haven relocated in the late 1930s to a purpose-built children’s hospital on Atlantic Boulevard, opening its doors in 1940.

During the mid-20th century, it served thousands of children and gained particular importance during public health crises such as the polio epidemics. At its peak, Hope Haven was widely recognized as one of the only general children’s hospitals serving the broad area between Atlanta and Miami, underscoring its importance to families across Northeast Florida.

By the late 20th century, changes in health care delivery led Hope Haven to transition away from inpatient hospital care. In 1980, the organization shifted its focus toward outpatient services, and in 1990 it sold the Atlantic Boulevard property and relocated to a modern facility on Beach Boulevard. The original hospital building was demolished in 1994, and the site was later redeveloped into the Magnolia Village apartments.

Love Grove Acres: A mid-century masterpiece

The neighborhood of Love Grove Acres is located along what was Love Grove Road (renamed University Boulevard around 1960) between Beach Boulevard and Atlantic Boulevard. Prior to World War II, the land around Love Grove Road was characterized by farms and open spaces.

Love Grove Acres was developed in 1956 by the H.S. Brownett Co. Also known as Riviera Manor, the subdivision overlooking Pottsburg Creek was planned as a 150-unit, contemporary-style development featuring split level, three-bedroom and two-bathroom residences.

Brownett and staff traveled into all sections of Florida and the Southeast inspecting contemporary homes to get new ideas for the maximum use of glass, combination rooms for outdoor living, and the latest architectural design in home building.

According to Brownett at the time of its development, “We have brought into reality our dream to provide the citizens of Duval County a Southside subdivision with large lots where the beautiful native trees were not destroyed in building the streets and laying out the lots. The natural beauty of the land was conserved and the wide paved streets were engineered to protect children from the excessive speed of automobiles.”

Today, the neighborhood is known for its centralized Southside location, modern dwellings and mature natural landscape.

The architectural works of H.S. Brownett

The H.S. Brownett Co. was founded by Harry S. “Bud” Brownett (1897-1966). Brownett was born on March 13, 1897, in Croydon, England. He graduated from the Engineering Technology School of London and came to Jacksonville in 1922. He soon became the president of H.S. Brownett Co. and H.S. Brownett Realty.

A popular general building contractor of mid-20th century residential and commercial land developments, Brownett’s firm built a number of schools, churches and buildings throughout Jacksonville and around the state. Among the structures his firm built are the Jacksonville Beach Lifesaving Station, Robert E. Lee High School, Kirby Smith Junior High School, Jackson High School, the University of Florida library, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church and the Grace Lutheran Church.

Jacksonville’s oldest continuously occupied residence

At the age of 20 in August 1766, Joseph Louis Francois of Florence, Italy, stepped on a young lady’s dress and was challenged to a duel by her companion. After winning the duel, he fled the country to avoid being prosecuted for murder. Settling in Saint Domingue, he owned a plantation cultivating coffee and sugar and became referred to as Sir Joseph Louis Francois dit Richard.

On the eve of the Haitian Revolution, he departed Saint Domingue and landed in Charleston, South Carolina, in August 1791. Anglicized to Francis Richard I, with 22 enslaved and in need of land to cultivate, Richard headed to Spanish East Florida, signing an oath of allegiance to the king of Spain in order to apply for a 400-acre land grant. By 1819, along with his two oldest sons, Richard had acquired over 22,000 acres throughout present day Duval, St. Johns and Putnam counties. Another son owned land in Alachua County and Glynn and Camden counties in Georgia.

Oldest son Francis Richard II’s 16,000-acre mill grant stretched from the mouth of the Arlington River to present day Baymeadows Road by 1817. A water-powered sawmill was built in the vicinity of Strawberry Creek and Red Bay Branch. A cotton gin and grist mill for the grinding of corn was also built. A prominent planter, Francis Richard II would father several children with enslaved women. His namesake Francis Richard III constructed this house along the Arlington River between 1837 and 1848. Located at 1300 Oak Haven Road, it is the oldest continuously occupied house in Jacksonville.