The architecture of Jacksonville is a combination of historic and modern styles reflecting the city's early position as a regional center of business. According to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, there are more buildings built before 1967 in Jacksonville than any other city in Florida, though few structures in the city center predate the Great Fire of 1901. Numerous buildings in the city have held state height records, dating as far back as 1902, and last holding a record in 1981.
Prominent architects Contributing heavily during the reconstruction period following the Great Fire of 1901, a young New York architect named Henry John Klutho would come to influence generations of local designers. Klutho's works exhibit elements influenced by both the Chicago School, championed by Louis Sullivan, and the Prairie School of architecture, popularized by Frank Lloyd Wright. As a result, Jacksonville has one of the largest collections of Prairie Style buildings outside the Midwest.
By the 1950s, modernist design principles would permeate throughout the United States, transforming the rapidly growing State of Florida. During this period, local architects Robert C. Broward, Taylor Hardwick, and William Morgan adapted a range of design principles, including International style, Brutalism, Futurism and Organicism, all applied with an American interpretation generally referred to today as Mid-century modern design. The architecture firms of Reynolds, Smith & Hills (RS&H) and Kemp, Bunch & Jackson (KBJ) have also contributed a number of important works to the city's modern architectural movement. In particular, KBJ has designed more buildings in the contemporary skyline of Jacksonville than any other architectural firm. Of the 30 tallest buildings in the city, 17 are associated with KBJ. With the notable exception of works by Robert A.M. Stern Architects, Welton Becket, Paul Rudolph, and Helmut Jahn, many of Jacksonville's modern landmarks were designed locally.
Residential architecture Houses
Few structures survive from the earliest period of Jacksonville's history, though there are a handful of notable exceptions. Built in 1797, Kingsley Plantation is the oldest surviving structure in the city and is currently maintained by the National Park Service as part of the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve. Located on Fort George Island, the plantation is a unique two-story house that resembles 17th century British gentry homes. The Red Bank Plantation House is a Georgian Revival style structure built in 1854. Marabanong Mansion is a Queen Anne style home built in 1876. Napoleon Bonaparte Broward House, built in 1878, and the Merrill House, built in 1886, are two examples of Victorian style homes in Jacksonville.
The Great Fire of 1901 consumed much of central Jacksonville, leaving thousands homeless, and simultaneously sparked a significant period of growth lasting up until the end of the Florida Land Boom. Springfield, Riverside, Avondale, Eastside, Oakland and Fairfield had been platted and annexed into the city prior to the fire, and experienced much of the related growth after the disaster. Architect Henry John Klutho would become a popular figure in the reconstruction of Jacksonville, contributing his designs to many of the new structures, including dwellings. Built in 1902, The Thomas V. Porter House is a Classical Revival and Colonial Revival style mansion designed by Klutho. He is better known for his works in the Prairie School style of architecture. His own home, Henry John Klutho House, is a prime example. The architecture firm of Marsh & Saxelbye would also establish itself during this period of growth. In 1925, the firm designed the Tudor Revival style Lane-Towers House. More famously, Epping Forest, completed in 1927, is a Spanish Colonial Revival style mansion designed by Marsh & Saxelbye.
Following World War II, suburbs rapidly developed throughout the United States, due in large part to the rise of personal automobile ownership. Following the opening of the Mathews Bridge, Arlington would become the most important of these developments locally. This period also coincided with the popularization of Modern design in architecture. Designed by Robert C. Broward, the Butterfly House was completed in 1957 in the Arlington neighborhood. Its design elements, including the butterfly wing shaped roof, are sometime more broadly categorized today as Mid-century modern design. The Jacksonville Beaches also host a number of modern homes built during this period. Famed architect Paul Rudolph designed the iconic Milam House in 1961, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. William Morgan designed the Williamson House in 1966, and his own home, Morgan House, in 1974. Both are located on the beach.
Apartments and condominiums 1913 Klutho Apartments, Prairie School, Henry John Klutho 1923 John Gorrie, Renaissance Revival, Roy A. Benjamin and Mellen Clark Greeley (originally the John Gorrie Junior High School) 1924 310 West Church Street Apartments, Georgian Revival/Beaux-Arts, Hentz, Reid & Adler (originally the Ambassador Hotel) 1925 The Carling, Renaissance Revival, Thompson, Holmes & Converse 1926 11 East Forsyth, Chicago school/Art Deco, Pringle & Smith (originally the Lynch Building) 1949 City Place, Moderne 1967 The Commander, Mid-century modern 1968 Cathedral Towers, Brutalist, Kemp, Bunch & Jackson 1970 Cathedral Townhouse, Brutalist, Kemp, Bunch & Jackson 1972 Mount Carmel Garden Apartments, Brutalist 1973 Riverside Presbyterian Apartments, Brutalist 1974 Cathedral Terrace, Brutalist, Kemp, Bunch & Jackson 1974 Hogan Creek Tower, Brutalist 2003 Berkman Plaza 2006 The Strands at St. Johns Center 2006 San Marco Place 2008 The Peninsula at St. Johns Center, Postmodern, 2015 220 Riverside, Modernist, 2016 Brooklyn Riverside Apartments, Modernist, 2018 Lofts at LaVilla, Modernist 2018 Lofts at Monroe, Modernist 2018 Broadstone River House, Modernist
Commercial architecture
Places of business
1889 El Modelo Block 1902 Old Florida National Bank, Classical Revival, Edward H. Glidden (originally the Mercantile Exchange Bank Building) 1902 Plaza Hotel (Jacksonville), Oxford Ink Tattoo, Dr. Bexley (originally Chief Surgeon General's Quarters in 1832 before it burned down in 1901) 1902 Dyal-Upchurch Building, Chicago school, Henry John Klutho 1908 Bisbee Building, Chicago school/Prairie School, Henry John Klutho 1909 121 Atlantic Place, Chicago school/Classical Revival, Mowbray and Uffinger (originally the Atlantic National Bank Building) 1910 Morocco Temple, Egyptian Revival/Prairie School, Henry John Klutho 1911 Florida Life Building, Chicago school/Prairie School, Henry John Klutho 1912 Masonic Temple, Chicago school/Prairie School, Mark and Sheftall 1925 Groover-Stewart Drug Company Building, Marsh & Saxelbye 1926 Scottish Rite Masonic Center, Egyptian Revival/Art Deco, Roy A. Benjamin 1926 Schultz Building, Chicago school/Classical Revival, Marsh & Saxelbye 1926 Barnett National Bank Building, Chicago school, Mowbray and Uffinger 1926 Elks Club Building, Mediterranean Revival, Roy A. Benjamin 1927 Levy Building, Chicago school/Renaissance Revival, Marsh & Saxelbye 1927 Hildebrandt Building, Chicago school/Renaissance Revival, Marsh & Saxelbye 1928 Greenleaf & Crosby Building, Chicago school/Renaissance Revival, Marsh & Saxelbye 1929 Title & Trust Company of Florida Building, Classical Revival, Marsh & Saxelbye 1941 First Federal Savings and Loan Building, Art Deco 1941 Furchgott Building, Art Deco, 1951 Jacksonville Transportation Authority Headquarters, Art Deco (originally the Atlantic National Bank Annex) 1953 Old Peninsular Life Insurance Building, International style, Kemp, Bunch & Jackson (occupied by Fidelity National Financial) 1955 Eight Forty One, International Style, Kemp, Bunch & Jackson (originally the Prudential Building) 1955 Old Independent Life Building, International Style, Kemp, Bunch & Jackson 1957 Midtown Centre, International Style/Mid-century modern, Ira Koger (originally the Koger Center) 1958 Skinner Dairy, Mid-century modern, Taylor Hardwick 1960 CSX Transportation Building, International Style/Mid-century modern, Kemp, Bunch & Jackson (originally the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Building) 1963 JEA Tower, Mid-century modern, Ketchum & Sharp (originally the Universal-Marion Building) 1965 Jessie Ball duPont Center, Mid-century modern, Taylor Hardwick 1967 Riverplace Tower, International Style/Mid-century modern, Welton Becket, in association with Kemp, Bunch & Jackson (originally the Gulf Life Building) 1967 Times-Union Building, International Style/Mid-century modern, Kemp, Bunch & Jackson 1971 Blue Cross Blue Shield Building, Brutalist, Kemp, Bunch & Jackson 1974 Wells Fargo Center, Modernist, Kemp, Bunch & Jackson (originally the Independent Life Building) 1974 BB&T Building, Modernist, Kemp, Bunch & Jackson (originally the Atlantic National Bank Building) 1982 Chart House, Organic/Modernist, Kendrick Bangs Kellogg 1983 EverBank Center, Modernist, Kemp, Bunch & Jackson (originally the Southern Bell Tower) 1985 Two Prudential Plaza, Modernist, Kemp, Bunch & Jackson 1985 Stein Mart Building, Modernist, Kemp, Bunch & Jackson 1986 One Enterprise Center, Postmodern, Clark Tribble Harris & Li Architects (originally the Florida National Bank Building) 1986 Baptist Medical Pavilion, Brutalist, 1989 VyStar Tower, Postmodern, Kemp, Bunch & Jackson (originally the American Heritage Life Building) 1990 Bank of America Tower, Postmodern, Helmut Jahn (originally the Barnett Center) 2003 Raymond James Building, Postmodern, Jess Walker of Morris Adjmi Architects 2008 EverBank Plaza, Postmodern
Hotels 1869 St. James Hotel (destroyed in 1901) 1875 Windsor Hotel (destroyed in 1901) 1908 Seminole Hotel, Chicago school/Prairie School, Henry John Klutho (demolished in 1974) 1926 Hotel George Washington, Renaissance Revival, Marsh & Saxelbye (demolished in 1973) 1928 Ribault Inn Club, Colonial Revival, Maurice Fatio and Mellen Clark Greeley 1959 Hotel Robert Meyer, Mid-century modern (demolished in 1998)Metro Jacksonville 1975 Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront Annex, Brutalist/Modernist, William Morgan (originally the Davis State Building) 1987 Omni Jacksonville Hotel 2001 Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront
Shopping centers 1959 Gateway Town Center 1967 Regency Square Mall 1987 Jacksonville Landing, Postmodern. Ben Thompson (demolished in 2020) 1990 The Avenues 2005 St. Johns Town Center
Institutional architecture Government
1886 County Courthouse (destroyed in 1901) 1902 County Courthouse, Classical Revival, Rutledge Holmes (demolished) 1909 Godbold Building, Chicago school/Prairie School, Henry John Klutho (Originally the YMCA Building) 1912 St. James Building, Chicago school/Prairie School, Henry John Klutho 1913 The Criminal Court Building, Prairie School, Henry John Klutho (demolished in 1968) 1924 Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta Jacksonville Branch, Georgian Revival, Henrietta Cuttino Dozier and A. Ten Eyck Brown 1933 Ed Austin Building, PWA Moderne/Stripped Classicism, Marsh & Saxelbye (originally the United States Federal Courthouse) 1952 Fire and Rescue Headquarters Building, Art Deco/Modernist, (originally the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta Jacksonville Branch) 1958 Old Duval County Courthouse, International Style, Reynolds, Smith & Hills 1960 City Hall Annex, Mid-century modern, Reynolds, Smith & Hills (Former City Hall) 1961 Edward Ball Building, International Style (originally the Florida National Bank Building) 1966 Charles E. Bennett Federal Building, Brutalist/Mid-century modern, Reynolds, Smith & Hills 1977 Jacksonville Sheriff's Office Headquarters, Brutalist/Modernist, William Morgan 2002 Bryan Simpson United States Courthouse, Postmodern, Kemp, Bunch & Jackson 2012 Duval County Courthouse, Kemp, Bunch & Jackson