Why Florida Demolished The Historic Ford Model T Factory

It's easy to forget just how revolutionary the historic Ford Model T was. The car itself was, of course, a huge success, with over 15 million of them manufactured between 1908 and 1927. With justification, the car can be described as the vehicle that put not just America, but the whole world on wheels. As such, it's rightly one of the most important vehicles of all time. 

However, it wasn't just the car that created a legacy; the car's factories also changed how the entire world approached mass manufacturing. Henry Ford debuted the concept of the moving assembly line on December 1, 1913, and suddenly, the mass production of automobiles was a reality. Yet, even with such a revolutionary approach to manufacturing, producing 15 million cars was beyond the scope of any single factory, even its original Highland Park Plant. 

Soon, Ford factories were churning out the Model T not just in America, but overseas, including in the U.K. One U.S. factory that built the car was situated in Jacksonville, Florida. The factory opened for business on August 29, 1924, and, at its peak, employed 800 workers producing 200 cars daily. However, production at the factory halted in 1932, and although it continued as a Ford parts distribution center until the 1960s, it never built cars again. Despite its heritage, the Jacksonville City Council decided in 2022 that the building had deteriorated to the point where it was no longer worth rescuing, and the facility was ultimately torn down in 2023. 

Ultimately, everything has its day: after the 15 millionth Model T came off the production line on May 26, 1927, all Model T production stopped. However, while this marked the end of the Model T production run, the Jacksonville factory remained a Ford facility for another four decades. From 1928 until 1932, the facility built the Model T's replacement — the Ford Model A. This was its manufacturing swansong, as all production at the factory stopped after this date, and the facility became Ford's parts distribution center for the Southeastern United States. 

 In 1968, Ford decided it was time to cut its ties with the historic location and moved its parts distribution to more modern facilities in Orlando and Westside Jacksonville. Despite Ford vacating the premises, various companies continued to use the facility until the last owner moved out in 2000. The building was sold to Amkin Hill Street LLC in 2015, a Miami-based property developer. 

Amkin Hill Street intended to demolish the building and use the land for a U.S. Navy repair facility, which the Jacksonville Historic Preservation Commission initially denied. However, this decision was overturned, with the city council citing the building's unsalvageable condition as the main factor. In the end, as with the Model T, time had run out for the building, and Florida's memento of its early days building Fords is now a memory, with the building finally being demolished in June 2023.