September 24, 2019
Patrick J. Ryan was one of the most prolific “contractors” in early Jacksonville. From 1855 onwards he specialized in “fire proof” brick buildings. He’s responsible for at least 4 of the commercial buildings still standing in downtown Jacksonville including the 1873 Jacksonville Inn, the 2-story 1861 “Ben Drew Commission House” currently occupied by Quintessence, and the 1865 P.J. Ryan “Dwelling House on South 3rd, now home to South Stage Cellars. Little is known about Ryan himself. A native of Ireland, he had arrived in Jacksonville no later than 1853 at the ripe old age of 23. That same year he purchased the Palmetto Bowling Saloon and launched his career as one of Jacksonville’s earliest and longest-term commercial property investors.