The Amelia

Here's a lovely old apartment house that overlooks Willow Branch Park in Jacksonville's historic Riverside neighborhood.  It is a large building by the neighborhood's standard.

The Amelia apartments, 1308 Willow Branch Avenue at Sidney Street, Jacksonville, Florida.  This is a 24 unit apartment building, likely constructed sometime in the early to mid 1920's.  The Amelia is a U-shaped building, with the main entrance located in a center courtyard.

It's not unusual to see a fountain as a centerpiece to an entrance courtyard like this one.  What is unusual is for the fountain to work!  The one at the Amelia bubbles away, creating a cool serenity on a hot day.   

Beyond the fountain, the main entrance to the building is in the middle of three archways.

The name of the building is centered over the entrance.

A peek inside reveals a building that is well cared for.

The setting across the street from the park is very pleasant.  Here's a look back at the park from the front of the building.

Willow Branch park extends south from Sidney Street across Park Street.  A narrow band of the park continues south from there, extending all the way to the St. Johns River.

The Amelia on Willow Branch park, as pleasant a place to live today as when it was constructed nearly ninety years ago.