JACKSONVILLE, Fla – When the Great Fire of 1901 tore through Jacksonville, destroying much of the city in just eight hours, it left behind more than charred ruins—it created an opportunity to start over.
One individual who answered the call to rebuild the River City was Henry Klutho, a young architect from New York who would go on to transform the look and feel of downtown Jacksonville, leaving a legacy that still stands today.
“Klutho was Jacksonville’s greatest architect—perhaps of all time,” said Dr. Wayne Wood, a local historian who has spent decades researching Klutho’s life and work. “He lived in New York, and when he was 28 years old, on May 3, 1901, Jacksonville burned to the ground in the Great Fire of Jacksonville. He read about it in The New York Times, and within two months, he had moved to Jacksonville to try to help rebuild the city after this great disaster.”
At just 28 years old, Klutho brought with him not just building knowledge, but bold ideas. A chance meeting with famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright during a honeymoon trip to Niagara Falls introduced Klutho to what was then a groundbreaking concept—Prairie School architecture.
Inspired by Wright’s vision of a modern American design free from European influence, Klutho became one of the first to bring the Prairie Style to the South.
The style was known for its use of natural materials, wide overhanging roofs, horizontal lines, and bands of windows that connected people to the outdoors.
“Frank Lloyd Wright and other architects from the Midwest wanted to establish a whole new American architecture that was not beholden to Europe,” Wood said. “You know, the Roman arches and the Greek columns, the typical old fashioned architecture. They wanted to do something modern that celebrated American democracy.”
One of Klutho’s most celebrated works is the St. James Building, originally built as a department store for the Cohen Brothers and now home to Jacksonville’s City Hall. The building, which takes up an entire city block, is considered the largest Prairie Style structure in the world.
“It’s one of the great buildings in the Southeast,” Wood said. “People came from all over just to see it. It’s still one of the most beautiful city halls in the country.”
Klutho also designed several other landmark buildings, including the former YMCA building, now known as the Jake Godbold Building, and two skyscrapers that make up part of the Laura Street Trio—the Bisbee Building and the Florida Life Building.
The Bisbee Building holds the title of Florida’s first reinforced concrete frame high-rise.
Though many of Klutho’s works were demolished over time, preservation efforts have saved some of his most iconic designs. However, Wood said more work is needed to restore other neglected buildings downtown.
“For a brief time, Jacksonville was one of the most modern cities in the world, and Klutho was a big reason why,” Wood said. “We need to preserve what’s left of his work—it’s part of our heritage.”
Today, Klutho’s influence can still be seen not only in Jacksonville’s skyline but also in neighborhoods like Springfield and Riverside, where some of his residential designs remain standing.
Henry Klutho passed away in 1964, largely forgotten in his time. But thanks to the work of historians and preservationists, his contributions are now being rediscovered and celebrated as an essential part of Jacksonville’s history.
