PLAZA HOTEL BUILDING

By  Mike Miller July 26, 2025

The Plaza Building, also known as the Bexley House and formerly the Plaza Hotel, is a historic building at the corner of Forsyth and Liberty Streets in Jacksonville, Florida.

Constructed in 1903, it now houses Oxford Ink Tattoo. The building blends history with modern use as a tattoo and music studio.

Visitors can view its exterior or enter during business hours to see its preserved features.

Plaza Hotel Building housing Oxford Ink Tattoo

The Plaza Hotel was built after Jacksonville’s Great Fire of 1901 destroyed much of downtown.

Robert Risby Bexley obtained a permit in May 1903 to rebuild. William F. Ivers, a local contractor, constructed it using fireproof concrete blocks.

Completed in 1904, it opened in 1905 as a hotel for tourists near the Clyde New England Pier.

It operated as a hotel until 1913, when Bexley’s family used it as a residence. Later, it served as a boarding house.

In 1985, attorney Glenn K. Allen renovated it for a law office. Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992, it became Oxford Ink Tattoo’s home by 2025. 

The Plaza Building is at 353 E Forsyth Street, Jacksonville, FL 32202, near the Duval County Courthouse.

Oxford Ink Tattoo operates there, open daily from 1 PM to 10 PM. Call (904) 619-7693 for appointments or walk-in availability.

Street parking is available; check local signs. Visitors can photograph the exterior or enter during business hours to see the interior.

Respect the tattoo shop’s operations. For history-focused visits, contact Oxford Ink in advance. Check their website for events like live music. 

• The building’s concrete block construction was rare in 1903, using a new fireproof material in Florida.  

• It was advertised as a “handsome stone building” for “refined guests” near Bay Street’s fashionable district 

• The Bexley family lived there from 1913, with descendants Sarah Ellis and Mary Connery staying until the 1980s. 

• Oxford Ink Tattoo hosts a music studio and live events, creating a community hub. 

• The 1901 fire destroyed most of Jacksonville’s tourist hotels, making the Plaza a rare survivor.
  
  
• The building's style is known as Masonry Vernacular.

OXFORD INK TATTOO'S WEBSITE