Henry John Klutho
Henry John Klutho | |
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Dyal-Upchurch Building, Old Jacksonville Free Public Library |
Henry John Klutho (1873–1964) was an American architect known for his work in the "Prairie School" style. He helped in the reconstruction of Jacksonville, Florida after the Great Fire of 1901—the largest-ever urban fire in the Southeast—by designing many of the new buildings built after the disaster. This period lasted until the beginning of World War I. Several Jacksonville architects began their careers in the offices of Klutho's firm.
Early life
Klutho was born in
Work
Klutho read about the
During a business trip to New York City in 1905, Klutho met Frank Lloyd Wright, and the event changed Klutho's life. Wright and other Chicago area architects had originated a new American style of design that became known as "Prairie School", which discarded traditional European standards, such as Roman arches and Greek columns. The new style appealed to Klutho, whose style changed to adopt the fresh ideas.[3]
Between 1907 and the start of World War I, Klutho was commissioned to design dozens of buildings, including the
In March 1910, Klutho agreed to design a building for Jacob and Morris Cohen's department store, to be named the St. James Building. Among the proposals sent to the Cohens was a striking design for a building with four floors, twice what had been requested. Klutho proposed a "mixed use" design that would contain small shops on the first floor exterior with the department store in the interior and on the second floor. The third and fourth floors would contain offices for rent. He convinced the brothers that their structure would become the center of commerce for Jacksonville and they embraced his idea.[5]
Klutho not only designed the building, but acted as construction manager using the fast-track method, whereby work begins prior to design completion. Remarkably, the project was finished in less than a year and a half. The structure was named the St. James Building, and it was Klutho's crowning achievement. When dedicated on October 21, 1912, it was the largest structure in Jacksonville, occupying an entire city block. The St. James Building was the featured article in The Western Architect and Klutho's work was highlighted throughout the magazine in June 1914.[6]
The most striking interior feature was a 75-foot octagonal glass dome, which served as a skylight. The elevators were open "cages", giving passengers a view of the store. The building exterior was decorated with large abstract terra-cotta ornaments.[6]
Later generations in Jacksonville did not appreciate the creativity and style of his designs. His contributions to the rebirth of the city were mostly ignored, except by his colleagues. On this, he quoted
- Dyal–Upchurch Building
- Florida Baptist Building
- Old Jacksonville Free Public Library(a/k/a Carnegie Library)
- Larimer Memorial Library
- Morocco Temple
- St. James Building (now the Jacksonville City Hall)
- Thomas V. Porter House
- Alexander St. Clair-AbramsHouse
- Henry John Klutho House the architect's residence
- Bisbee Building
- Florida Life Building
- Hotel James in Palatka
Gallery
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Old YMCA building
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Old Larimer Library, in Palatka
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Bisbee Building
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Dyal–Upchurch Building
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Florida Life Building
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Klutho House
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Old Jacksonville Free Public Library
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Morocco Temple, Jacksonville
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Klutho Apartments on Main Street
See also
References
Notes
- ^ Wood, Wayne W. "Dyal-Upchurch Building". Jacksonville Historical Society. Archived from the original on January 25, 2014. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
- ^ "John Henry Klutho". Jacksonville Historical Society. Archived from the original on February 14, 2012. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
- ^ a b c Wood, Wayne. "Jacksonville Historical Society, Henry John Klutho" Archived 2012-02-14 at the Wayback Machine
- ISBN 0-8130-0731-3
- ^ Wood, Wayne W. "St. James Building". Jacksonville Historical Society. Archived from the original on August 9, 2014. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
- ^ a b Wood, Wayne. "Jacksonville's Architectural Heritage, St. James Building"
External links
- Jacksonville Architects at Jacksonville Historical Society
- Photographic exhibit on the Great Fire of 1901 and Aftermath, and includes images of Klutho and his buildings. Presented by the State Archives of Florida.
- RAP: Application for Historic District – Riverside / Avondale at Riverside Avondale Preservation
- Jacksonville Modern Times[usurped] at The Vernon Johns Society[usurped]