By Brenda Eubanks Burnette
The old Nevins Fruit Company packinghouse was located on Parrish Road in Titusville, Florida. Its vast packing floor — more than 31,000 square feet with a mezzanine nearly half that size — once echoed with machinery, laughter and the sweet perfume of freshly picked fruit. It was one of the most influential packinghouses in North Brevard, and its owners played a significant part in the growth of Florida’s citrus industry.
Thomas F. Nevins, a New York City fire chief, began buying and developing groves in Titusville. He established the Nevins Fruit Company in 1898 with Jesse J. Parrish Sr., who was born in 1877 in Bowling Green, Florida. Parrish Sr. grew up on his family’s 10‑acre citrus grove. Under his leadership, the Nevins operation evolved from a private packing venture into a regional cooperative that united growers under shared grading, packing and marketing standards.
More than a grower, Parrish Sr. was a builder of institutions. He helped found Egan, Fickett & Company. He also founded the Florida Citrus Production Credit Association, giving growers access to financing at a time when agricultural credit was scarce. And he spent 24 years in the Florida Legislature, serving first as a representative and later as a senator from Brevard County. He chaired the Senate Citrus Committee, served as Senate president, co‑sponsored the bill creating the Florida Citrus Commission, and helped secure the federal marketing agreement on citrus. Colleagues often remarked that Senator Parrish “never lost a citrus battle.”
On Dec. 10, 1912, Jesse J. Parrish Jr. was born in the family’s Titusville home, surrounded by groves that would shape his life. After earning a law degree from the University of Florida, he returned home to practice law and continue the family’s citrus operations. His life took a detour during World War II, where he served with distinction and rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel.
When his father died in 1948, the younger Parrish inherited not only groves and a packing plant, but a legacy of leadership. For the next 40 years, he guided Nevins Fruit Company through modernization and expansion, transforming it into the largest citrus processing facility in the Titusville area. He helped craft the 1949 Florida Citrus Code, establishing quality standards that defined Indian River citrus for generations.
Parrish Jr. was known for his polished presence, donning seersucker suits and Panama hats in summer and blue pinstripes and grey felt hats in winter. This was a striking contrast to the plaid shirts and boots of most growers. His attire reflected his constant movement between grove, boardroom and legislative chamber. He served on an extraordinary number of industry organizations, including the Florida Citrus Commission, Florida Citrus Mutual, Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association, the Shippers Advisory Committee, the Joint Citrus Industry Legislative Committee (JCILC), the Indian River Citrus League and many more. Industry colleagues joked that if he ever joined the Florida Citrus Processors Association, he could practically hold a meeting of the JCILC by himself.
Despite his soft‑spoken demeanor, Parrish Jr.’s influence was unmistakable. Florida Citrus Mutual Executive Vice President Bobby F. McKown praised him for “his willingness to become involved in any organization — industry, statewide or national — where he felt his presence could benefit citrus growers. He was a fine gentleman in everything he did.”
In 1988, one year before his death, Parrish Jr. was inducted into the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame, joining his father as one of the industry’s most enduring figures. He passed away on Jan. 8, 1989, at Jess Parrish Memorial Hospital, named for his father. His business success had placed him on the Forbes 400 list in 1984, yet he remained deeply rooted in his hometown, supporting community institutions including the Emma Parrish Theater, named for his mother. Although the old Nevins packinghouse is gone, its legacy and that of its founders still echoes throughout the state.
Brenda Eubanks Burnette is the former executive director of the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame and is currently president of the board of Vero Heritage, Inc., which operates The Heritage Center and Indian River Citrus Museum in Vero Beach, Florida.
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