The Blue Haven opened in 1947on Hwy 90 in Macclenny and was the county's first drive-in restaurant. Owners Suzie and William Barber, Sr., also ran a boarding house next door. The restaurant was a popular hangout for teenagers in the 1950s where they gathered daily after school to eat cheeseburgers, drink cokes and listen to music on the jukebox. Displayed inside The Blue Haven exhibit are napkins scribbled with messages from some of the original patrons as well as chairs, a table, a booth and even the bright red Coca Cola drink cooler that were all once part of the restaurant.
Frequent Blue Haven customers from that time are immortalized by a drawing done by local artist and historian, the late Gene Barber. Also on display is a framed photo of the county's first All American football player, Larry Dupree, who signed his professional football contract at one of the Blue Haven tables at midnight. The restaurant closed in the late 1960s.
|
Gallery >
