Hygema House Movers Selected for Foundation Portion of Buckland House Restoration

RAP is honored to announce the bid for the foundation component of the restoration work, after an arduous selection process, has been awarded to Hygema House Movers.

RAP assembled a committee comprised of: Executive Director, Carmen Godwin; Preservation and Education Coordinator, Laura Lavernia; Project Architect, Greg Thomas; and Contractor, Bill Smart owner of River City Restoration. A request for bids was issued and bids were evaluated based on--in order of importance-- experience and staff qualifications, thoroughness of scope, schedule, and cost. Based on careful evaluation of criteria and extensive interviews, RAP has awarded the foundation portion of the project to Hygema House Movers. 

Pictured: beloved RAP member Jerry Spinks (1938 - 2011)

Established in 1930, Hygema has a long-standing history and reputation for excellence providing specialized services for historic structures in the areas of: structural moving (historical, masonry, brick, block, frame), foundation repairs, house leveling, termite damage repairs, and structural repairs.  They have been involved in previous projects with RAP, specifically during the early years of the organization's history when the organization was moving historic structures as a last resort in able to save them from imminent demolition. 

Hygema House Movers is also a proud sponsor of the Buckland House Restoration project.  Their main project contribution consists of materials and other costs associated with construction.  Their proposal consisted in rebuilding the foundation salvaging the existing exterior rusticated blocks, leveling the house and the front porch, re-pouring cracked front concrete steps, and plumbing (straightening) the porch, particularly re-setting the columns that are currently leaning as a result of the settlement.

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This project has been financed in part with historic preservation grant assistance provided by the National Parks Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, administered through the Bureau of Historic Preservation, Division of Historical Resources, Florida Department of State, assisted by the Florida Historical Commission.

History of the Buckland House

George Buckland and family in Jacksonville

The Buckland House is significant to the social history as well as the architectural history of Jacksonville, FL.  The home was built around 1909 (property appraiser records have final construction date recorded as 1912) and it currently serves as the headquarters for Riverside Avondale Preservation (RAP) as well as the Riverside Arts Market (RAM).

The Buckland Family The house on Herschel Street appears to have been built for the Buckland Family and was owned by this family for nearly eighty years.  Former owner George Buckland practiced law in Ohio with his father, Ralph Buckland, who was a colleague of former US president Rutherford B. Hayes in the 1840s and a former mayor of Freemont, OH, former member of the US House of Representatives, and a leader of the 72nd Ohio infantry during the Civil War.  George Buckland  moved to Jacksonville in 1908 to work for the gas company.  He was known for his weekly column, "Family Pages from the Past" published in the Florida Metropolis newspaper.  He married Grace Huntington and had two daughters: Mary and Charlotte. 

Buckland House Becomes the French Primary School
In 1918, Grace and daughter Mary founded the French Primary School at the Buckland House.  Grace taught the children French, while Mary attended to their primary education, "The Three R's." The Buckland family continued to live in the home while it served as a school.  There are accounts of the butler and maid assisting with moving the furniture to accommodate for desks and such. The French Primary School taught some of Jacksonville's most prominent citizens and operated until Mrs. Buckland's death in the 1940s.  Daughter Charlotte never taught at the School, but taught Biology at Duval County Public Schools. 

Buckland House Donated to RAP for Headquarters
From 1978 to 1990, RAP was headquartered on 2624 Riverside Avenue.  The expansion of St. Vincents Medical Center made the relocation of 2624 necessary for that home's only salvation.  RAP saved the house by moving it to Powell Place, a street zoned for strictly residential use, and in the process lost it as its offices.  Harry Blanton, a long-time supporter and resident on Herschel Street, learned of RAP's predicament and reached out to Helen Chatfield Black of Cincinnati, OH who had inherited the Buckland House from her cousin Charlotte Buckland in 1990. Mrs. Black was so moved by RAP's story and circumstance that in an extraordinary act of generosity deeded the Buckland House to our organization. The Buckland House was officially dedicated as our new headquarters on March 16, 1991.  This year marked the 20th anniversary of RAP owning the Buckland House.

About the Buckland House

RAP's Headquarters, The Buckland House,  is undergoing  some much-needed repairs as part of the Buckland House Restoration Project. One of the first considerations when looking to make alterations to a historic home is to consider how appropriate these changes are to the home and how these changes may affect its historic integrity. Do the changes work with the style of the home? Do they preserve the character-defining features that make it special?