The Maceo Elks Lodge #8 at 712 West Duval Street, is the last surviving institutional building in LaVilla associated with its early Jewish community. During the 1880s, Yiddish speaking Jewish immigrants from Russia and Romania arrived in Jacksonville, primarily living and working in this area of LaVilla. In 1901 they established an Orthodox temple named B’nai Israel at the intersection of Duval and Jefferson Streets.

In 1910, the Young Men’s Hebrew Association (YMHA) was proposed to perpetuate Judaism as a positive aspect in community life through health, education, recreation, democratic training, and information education in the Jewish tradition. Building plans were drafted by local architects J.H.W. Hawkins, Talley and Summer, and Benjamin and Ball.

The YMHA held a bazaar to open its doors to the public on February 8, 1915. Jacksonville mayor, Jac Swearingen, addressed the large gathering on the opening night. By 1928, the Jewish population of LaVilla began moving into suburban neighborhoods. The YMHA relocated to Springfield in 1932.

In 1945, the building was sold to Maceo Elk Lodge #8. Approved on December 7, 1898, Maceo Elks Lodge #8 is the seventh oldest Improved Benevolent Protective Order of Elks of the World (IBPOEW) lodge in the country. Incorporated in 1898, the IBPOEW is the largest Black fraternal organization in the world. African American fraternal organizations have played a vital role in the African American lives by providing financial, spiritual, and emotional aid to the members and communities they serve. Locally, the Elks assisted the Jacksonville community in hosting workshops, feeding the elderly, hosting community dances, talent shows, and other positive activities. The YMHA / Maceo Elks Lodge #8 building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 29, 1992.