Origin of American Beach Street Names

The streets of American Beach were named in honor of the following:

Burney Rd.: I. H. Burney II, a president of the Afro-American Life Insurance Co. (”the Afro”)

Ervin St.: Louis Dargan Ellis, first fulltime agent of the Afro, later a vice president

Gregg St.: the Rev. Elias J. Gregg, paster of the Mt. Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church, Jacksonville; first president, African-American Industrial and Benefit Association (predecessor of the Afro)

James St.: James H. Lewis, son of A.L. and Mary Lewis, a president of the Afro

Julia St.: Julia Brown Lewis, mother of A. L. Lewis

Lee St.: the Honorable William H. Lee, secretary, vice president, board member of the Afro

Leonard St.: James L. Lewis, grandson of A. L. Lewis

Lewis St.: A. L. Lewis, President of the Afro, founder of American Beach

Mary St.: Mary Lewis, first wife of A. L. Lewis

Price St.: the Rev. Alfred W. Price, third president of the Afro

Waldron St.: the Rev. J. Milton Waldron, pastor, Jacksonville’s Bethel Institutional Church; had the original idea for the Afro

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