ORANGE PARK – While Orange Park Furniture may be gone, its memory will be enshrined in perpetuity at Town Hall.

The stunning 8-foot-long, 800-pound locomotive and tender that have adorned the store’s showroom for the past 22 years were relocated to the main lobby at Town Hall on Tuesday. Furniture store owner Elmer James said his family decided to donate the fixture to the town to commemorate the 51 years the family did business with the community.

“The furniture business is our legacy,” James said. “The train is something that people have identified in the store as being something unique. We wanted to leave it for the people of the town to remember.

“It is a family gift. The community has been a gift to us. We've been a gift to the community. We want to leave something behind that the community can enjoy and appreciate and remember the family that was here.”

James decided to retire and close his family’s furniture store on April 30, marking the end of a 51-year run that spanned five generations of employees and 41 years at the same location, 1329 Park Ave.

The Town Council voted 5-0 on April 15 to accept the gift from the James family.

“Basically, it’s a replica of a train that used to stop in the town in the ‘30s that was built by Mr. [Lewis] Bostick,” said Interim Town Manager William Whitson. “It's been evaluated quite a bit. We accepted, and we found a place for it. We've already talked to the staff, and we have a great place picked out for it. We are excited, and I think this is a good thing for the town.”

Bostwick made the model nearly 90 years ago. Each piece is handmade of steel or brass and meticulous in detail.

Mayor Randy Anderson has a simple observation: “It is grandiose.”

The replica belonged to Mabel Hornsby, who originally wanted it to be displayed in a bank or another high-profile location in the Jacksonville area, James said.

Hornsby died in 2003.

“Through a series of events, she left it to me in her will,” James said. “I went and got it. It was her desire to have it put in a place where it could be enjoyed. And trust me, that thing has really been enjoyable for our customers.”

Now it belongs to everyone.