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 In Memory of Melanie MacLean Cross
 Efforts to preserve the Norman Studios
have been in motion for much longer than many know. In 1993, Melanie MacLean Cross,
a passionate preservationist and lifelong Jacksonville resident, founded Old
Arlington, Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and
protecting the history, culture and general welfare of Jacksonville’s historic
Arlington neighborhood. Melanie’s impetus to start Old Arlington Inc. (OAI) was
the Norman Studios property. At the time, its loss seemed imminent. Four of the
five Norman buildings had stood empty for years and were in a heartbreaking
state of disrepair. Cross was the first to champion the restoration of the
Norman property and its return to its glory days-look and a functioning
community resource.
 Sadly, we lost Melanie in 2008. But her
legacy lives on in the continued work of OAI and the Norman Studios Silent Film
Museum. Had it not been for her vision
and determination, the Norman Studios property might well have been demolished.
Instead, this historic property stands poised for a grand comeback. Thanks to
Melanie, an important piece of Jacksonville’s history, Florida’s history,
African American history and the motion picture industry’s history is saved.
Pending an agreement with the City of Jacksonville, NSSFM aims to establish a museum
chronicling Northeast Florida’s film history and providing an educational,
cultural and vocational resource to the community. Thanks to Melanie and the work
she inspired, a whole new generation of young filmmakers and other artists might
soon begin their path to success, even stardom.
Thank you, Melanie.
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