From 1869 until 1901 - the year that changed Downtown Jacksonville's fate - the site of the St. James Building was a bustling center of activity for the town once called "Cowford" for the narrow spot where cattle crossed the St. Johns River. Beneath one roof, the site was home to the St. James Inn (named for the patron saint of travelers), which regularly hosted the elite of its day, including literary celebrities and high society folks from New York and London. These monied visitors enjoyed performances by world famous orchestras, haute cuisine and a wine room, plus a plush reading room and a passenger elevator. As many as 500 guests could be comfortably accommodated at the renowned St. James Inn during its heyday.
Great Fire of 1901 Destroys the St. James
Then came the day that would burn up newspaper headlines nationwide and forever change downtown Jacksonville. In the early morning of May 3, 1901, sparks from a lunchtime kitchen would ride a breeze to a nearby mattress factory rooftop, igniting piles of Spanish moss used to stuff upholstery. In just one day, a wild blaze dubbed the "Great Fire of 1901" would lay waste to Jacksonville's downtown core, destroying nearly 2,400 buildings and 146 city blocks, killing seven and leaving upwards of 10,000 people homeless. That evening, Governor William Jennings declared martial law and the state militia were dispatched.
Among the buildings destroyed was the once opulent St. James Inn, reduced to rubble and ashes. But its proprietor, J.R. Campbell, was determined to rebuild. In 1904, he enlisted John Henry Klutho, an enterprising young New Yorker who had come to Jacksonville immediately after the fire and become one of the city's most sought after architects. After much financial trouble, a cash-backed deal came through in 1910.
The St. James Reopens
By this time, the building had changed hands and was owned by Jacob and Morris Cohens, who sought to open an upscale department store. Klutho's proposal to the brothers was for a striking, four-story building that took up an entire city block. The brothers agreed and in March 1912, the St. James Building reopened to much fanfare. The Cohen Bros. Department store occupied the interior and second floor of the building. Small shops opened on the first floor exterior, and the third and fourth floors contained offices for rent. Jacksonville's largest structure at the time, the St. James was featured in newspapers and architectural publications of the day.
Over the years, the St. James would change hands several times and fall into disrepair as downtown Jacksonville fell victim to suburban sprawl and underwent the same decine as did many of the nation's formerly thriving urban areas. However, local preservationists sought to save the St. James and were successful in getting the building listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. Nearly two decades later, via a major funding program dubbed the "River City Renaissance," the building changed hands again, this time going to the City of Jacksonville in a $24 million purchase and restoration deal.
Today, the St. James Building houses the Jacksonville City Hall and again is a bustling place of activity. After more than a century, it remains Klutho's crowning achievement in Jacksonville architecture.
For more on Jacksonville history, see "Jacksonville's Norman Studios Stages a Comeback" and "Five Jacksonville History Fun Facts: The Sensational and Scandalous of the River City."
Devan Stuart - Devan Stuart is a longtime journalist and five-time Florida Press Association Award winner.
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