Henry John Klutho
Encyclopedia
Henry John Klutho was an American
architect
of 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.
, a small midwest town. He lived there until the age of 16, when he left for St. Louis, Missouri
to study business. When he became interested in architecture
, he moved to New York City
to learn more, and became an architect.
in the New York Times and recognized the opportunity of a lifetime. He finished his current projects in New York and quickly moved to Jacksonville. Klutho introduced himself to prominent businessmen and politicians, and within a month, he was commissioned to design the six-story Dyal-Upchurch Building
, the first large structure in the barren downtown area. Other projects soon followed, including the new City Hall and private homes.
, 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.
Between 1907 and the start of World War I, he was commissioned to design dozens of buildings, including the Morocco Temple
, Seminole Hotel, the Florida Life Building
, the Bisbee Building, and the YMCA. In what is now the Springfield Historic District
, he drew plans for the Klutho Apartments, the Claude Nolan Cadillac Building, the Florence Court Apartments and his own home. He also was involved in the design of buildings in the Avondale and Riverside neighborhoods.
. 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.
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.
The most striking interior feature was a 75' 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.
: "In the land of the blind, a one-eyed man is king."
Klutho lived to be 91, but was flat broke and his later years were difficult. Following his death, much of his work was razed or "renovated". However, in the mid-1970s, a number of his creations were added to the National Register of Historic Places
, assuring their preservation, and the Jacksonville Historical Society
takes special interest in his work:
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
of the "Prairie School
Prairie School
Prairie School was a late 19th and early 20th century architectural style, most common to the Midwestern United States.The works of the Prairie School architects are usually marked by horizontal lines, flat or hipped roofs with broad overhanging eaves, windows grouped in horizontal bands,...
" style. He helped in the reconstruction of Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
after the Great Fire of 1901
Great Fire of 1901
The Great Fire of 1901 in Jacksonville, Florida was one of the worst disasters in Florida history and the largest urban fire in the Southeast. It was similar in scale and destruction to the 1871 Great Chicago Fire.-Origin:...
—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
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Several Jacksonville architects began their careers in the offices of Klutho's firm.
Early life
Klutho was born in Breese, IllinoisBreese, Illinois
Breese is a large town in Clinton County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 4,221 which the majority are of German ancestry.-History:...
, a small midwest town. He lived there until the age of 16, when he left for St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
to study business. When he became interested in architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
, he moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to learn more, and became an architect.
Opportunity
Klutho read about the Great Fire of 1901Great Fire of 1901
The Great Fire of 1901 in Jacksonville, Florida was one of the worst disasters in Florida history and the largest urban fire in the Southeast. It was similar in scale and destruction to the 1871 Great Chicago Fire.-Origin:...
in the New York Times and recognized the opportunity of a lifetime. He finished his current projects in New York and quickly moved to Jacksonville. Klutho introduced himself to prominent businessmen and politicians, and within a month, he was commissioned to design the six-story Dyal-Upchurch Building
Dyal-Upchurch Building
The Dyal-Upchurch Building is a six-story, 43,747-square-foot historic building in Jacksonville, Florida. It is located at 4 East Bay Street, and was designed by architect Henry John Klutho. On April 17, 1980, it was added to the U.S...
, the first large structure in the barren downtown area. Other projects soon followed, including the new City Hall and private homes.
Major change
During a business trip to New York City in 1905, Klutho met Frank Lloyd WrightFrank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright was an American architect, interior designer, writer and educator, who designed more than 1,000 structures and completed 500 works. Wright believed in designing structures which were in harmony with humanity and its environment, a philosophy he called organic architecture...
, and the event changed Klutho's life. Wright and other Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
area architects had originated a new American style of design that became known as "Prairie School
Prairie School
Prairie School was a late 19th and early 20th century architectural style, most common to the Midwestern United States.The works of the Prairie School architects are usually marked by horizontal lines, flat or hipped roofs with broad overhanging eaves, windows grouped in horizontal bands,...
", 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.
Buildings
Morocco Temple
The Morocco Temple is a historic Shrine building in Jacksonville, Florida. It is located at 219 Newnan Street, and was designed by New York architect Henry John Klutho. On November 29, 1979, it was added to the U.S...
, Seminole Hotel, the Florida Life Building
Florida Life Building
The Laura Street Trio is a group of three historic buildings located on and near Laura Street in downtown Jacksonville, Florida. The Trio consists of two perpendicularly-arranged skyscrapers, the Florida Life Building and the Bisbee Building, plus a third structure, the Old Florida National Bank ,...
, the Bisbee Building, and the YMCA. In what is now the Springfield Historic District
Springfield, Jacksonville, Florida
Springfield is a historic neighborhood of Jacksonville, Florida, located to the north of downtown. Established in 1869, it experienced its greatest growth from the early 1880s through the 1920s...
, he drew plans for the Klutho Apartments, the Claude Nolan Cadillac Building, the Florence Court Apartments and his own home. He also was involved in the design of buildings in the Avondale and Riverside neighborhoods.
St. James Building
In March, 1910, Klutho agreed to design a building for Jacob and Morris Cohen's department store, to be named the St. James BuildingSt. James Building
The St. James Building is a historic building in Jacksonville, Florida, currently housing Jacksonville City Hall. It was designed by architect Henry John Klutho and opened in 1912...
. 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.
Klutho not only designed the building, but acted as construction manager using the fast track
Fast Track
Fast Track is an informal English phrase meaning "the quickest and most direct route to achievement of a goal, as in competing for professional advancement".Fast Track may also refer to:* Fast Track, a FoxBusiness.com show hosted by Anna Gilligan...
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
St. James Building
The St. James Building is a historic building in Jacksonville, Florida, currently housing Jacksonville City Hall. It was designed by architect Henry John Klutho and opened in 1912...
, 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.
The most striking interior feature was a 75' 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.
Final years
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 Desiderius ErasmusDesiderius Erasmus
Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus , known as Erasmus of Rotterdam, was a Dutch Renaissance humanist, Catholic priest, and a theologian....
: "In the land of the blind, a one-eyed man is king."
Klutho lived to be 91, but was flat broke and his later years were difficult. Following his death, much of his work was razed or "renovated". However, in the mid-1970s, a number of his creations were added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
, assuring their preservation, and the Jacksonville Historical Society
Jacksonville Historical Society
Jacksonville Historical Society is a 501 non-profit organization in Jacksonville, Florida, begun by 231 charter members on May 3, 1929 at the Carling Hotel.-History:...
takes special interest in his work:
- Dyal-Upchurch BuildingDyal-Upchurch BuildingThe Dyal-Upchurch Building is a six-story, 43,747-square-foot historic building in Jacksonville, Florida. It is located at 4 East Bay Street, and was designed by architect Henry John Klutho. On April 17, 1980, it was added to the U.S...
- Florida Baptist BuildingFlorida Baptist BuildingThe Florida Baptist Building is a historic building in Jacksonville, Florida. It is located at 218 West Church Street, and was designed by New York architect Henry John Klutho. On January 12, 1984, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.-References and external links:* at *...
- Old Jacksonville Free Public Library (a/k/a Carnegie Library)
- Larimer Memorial LibraryLarimer Memorial LibraryLarimer Memorial Library is a historic library at 216 Reid Street in Palatka, Florida, United States. It was given to the Arts Council of Greater Palatka in 1992, and renamed the Larimer Arts Center. On March 12, 2008, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.-External links:*...
- Morocco TempleMorocco TempleThe Morocco Temple is a historic Shrine building in Jacksonville, Florida. It is located at 219 Newnan Street, and was designed by New York architect Henry John Klutho. On November 29, 1979, it was added to the U.S...
- St. James BuildingSt. James BuildingThe St. James Building is a historic building in Jacksonville, Florida, currently housing Jacksonville City Hall. It was designed by architect Henry John Klutho and opened in 1912...
(now the Jacksonville City Hall) - Thomas V. Porter HouseThomas V. Porter HouseThe Thomas V. Porter House is a historic home in Jacksonville, Florida. It is located at 510 Julia Street, and was designed by New York architect Henry John Klutho. On May 13, 1976, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.-History:...
- Alexander St. Clair-AbramsAlexander St. Clair-AbramsAlexander St. Clair-Abrams was a writer who owned newspapers and railroads in the Southern United States and also published under the names A.S. Abrams and A. Sinclair Abrams.-Civil War:...
House - Henry John Klutho HouseHenry John Klutho HouseThe Henry John Klutho House is a historic home in Jacksonville, Florida. The house was designed and lived in by the New York architect Henry John Klutho, who helped in the rebuilding of Jacksonville after the Great Fire of 1901. It is located at 28-30 West 9th Street. On December 19, 1978, it was...
the architect's residence - Bisbee 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 at The Vernon Johns Society