JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — There is a push to help preserve some of Jacksonville’s most treasured pieces of history.
Jacksonville Historical Society Executive Director Alan Bliss says he wants to keep history where it’s been for over 100 years.
Action News Jax reporter Jamarlo Phillips took a tour of the Old Caskets Factory building with Bliss on Thursday afternoon.
“The fact these things are here really makes them an irreplaceable resource,” Bliss said.
On the first floor of the building are old books with deed records and hundreds of pictures including one of Hank Aaron when he played for the Jacksonville Braves.
Bliss says to keep these items safe and secure, the Jacksonville Historical Society needs they need to raise $300,000.
“The longer these things sit, the more they deteriorate,” Bliss explained.
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In a public meeting today, City Council President Scott Wilson said the city would support thirty $35,000 and may be willing to help more later in the year.
Jacksonville City councilman Matt Carlucci organized the meeting.
“We want to protect these treasures for now and for generations to come,” Carlucci said.
“We have no space to actually spread out and process materials,” Bliss said.
On the second floor of the building the walls are made of wood. Bliss says the second floor would look similar to the third floor before they turn into an archive space.
“That’s why the project is urgent to demolish out the second floor. We need to install it with good climate control, good quality lighting and build it out so that we have processing space and resource for our staff and volunteers to work on these collections,” Bliss said.
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