Nathan Straus
Jacksonville Daily Progress
JACKSONVILLE —
Lawrence Jay’s shop in Jacksonville has been a fixture since the early days of the city’s growth. Jay said whether the task in question was designing hats or creating one of many wood-based furniture pieces, he and his family had a hand in it.
“My daddy, Alton, bought this land in 1929,” Jay said. “It had no building on it but a small blacksmith.”
Jay’s brothers and his father worked on a little bit of everything in the early days of the business, creating everything ranging from ice trucks to swings and rocking chairs. Jay even has one of his rocking chairs still in the building off Commerce Street.
It wasn’t until 1947 that Jay returned to Jacksonville after serving in World War II.
“My brother had acute indigestion and died, and I came back here,” he said. “We made hat blocks for hat manufacturers.”
A piece of equipment used to shape hats, Jay said his hat blocks went as far out as Saint Louis to hat manufacturers. Some found their way to legendary Southern Baptist Preacher and Comedian Grady Nutt, who lived in the area and made cowboy hats with the hat blocks.
In recent times Jay has taken to working alone in his shop.
“I’m fixing to quit,” Jay said. “I’m selling the building. When you get to be 84 years old you just quit working.”
Though he’s still capable of putting a rocking chair together, and even claims to be able to do so in less than two days, Jay said he looks forward to spending time with his wife.
He said he expects the shift to happen in the next month or so. The buyer, Craig Barber, said he has known the Jay family all his life.
“I grew up across the street from the Jays,” Barber said. “This is a historical building and I’m going to use it for what it’s currently used for.”
Barber said the building will not be a commercial building and will be for his own private use to support his real estate investments.
Gene Staton, a friend to Jay, said the hat blocks in Jay’s shop were sold some time close to the 1980s.
“For the people who had furniture made or repaired there this building means a lot,” Staton said. “It means a lot to the city and to Jay’s customers.”
Jay has never in his life solicited his business to anyone else; he said every single dollar he made has been a result of someone coming to find him.
“If they want me, they come see me,” Jay said.
His shop’s influence has spread out in too many places to count. Even as far as Dallas or Houston there can be found chairs or swing sets made by his hands, he said.
When asked about the number of items he’s repaired, Jay simply said, “There’s no telling.”
