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34-561: The Richmond Hotel is situated on the corner of N Broad Street and West Church Street, adjacent to the Duval County Courthouse . It is located in the northwest quadrant of Downtown . Specifically the hotel can be found in the northwest corner of the LaVilla neighborhood, a historic African-American neighborhood that is east of I-95 and south of W Union Street. The Richmond Hotel is a 3-story structure, situated on .22 acres of land. There

68-443: A cost of $ 64.3 million. Peyton's office cited rising construction costs as part of the reason for the budget deficit. Peyton decided to throw out Cannon's original designs, including completed work, and proposed a new plan. The Jacksonville City Council approved increasing the courthouse budget to $ 263.5 million in 2006. The project was re-bid, and the team of Perry-McCall Construction and The Auchter Company were initially awarded

102-400: A principal of a local school claimed that local firemen only attempted to save white neighborhoods, leaving the prominently black portions of town in flames: "We met many people fleeing. From them we gathered excitedly related snatches: the fiber factory catches afire - the fire department comes - fanned by a light breeze, the fire is traveling directly east and spreading out to the north, over

136-583: A public green space, known as the Courthouse Lawn. Henry John Klutho 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

170-539: Is not attributed to the Richmond Hotel. Due to reconstruction efforts by those like Klutho, various apartments buildings, office spaces, churches, and libraries were built throughout LaVilla and the surrounding downtown neighborhoods. [REDACTED] Media related to Richmond Hotel (Jacksonville) at Wikimedia Commons Duval County Courthouse The Duval County Courthouse is the local courthouse for Duval County, Florida . It houses courtrooms and judges from

204-484: Is now a .07 acre lot behind the building. The entire building spans 17,620 square feet. The second story balcony could be used to oversee the street below. Jacksonville's Architectural Heritage cites a 1942 magazine describing the Richmond Hotel as an: "[O]utstanding hotel for colored people in Jacksonville...[located] close to all principal Negro businesses, theaters, and churches, and less than five minutes drive from

238-535: The Great Fire of 1901 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

272-645: The 1920s until the 1960s, LaVilla was known as the "Harlem of the South" due to its bursting creativity. The neighborhood was notorious for its many theaters such as the Ritz Theatre , the Strande Theatre, and the Roosevelt Theatre. Likewise, many nightclubs and diners lit up the streets after dark, including Hayes Luncheonette, Mama's Restaurant, Nick's Pool Parlor, and Manuel's Taproom. When guests would come to visit

306-464: The Duval County and Fourth Judicial Circuit Courts. The new facility is located Downtown Jacksonville, Florida ; it was built starting in 2009 and opened in 2012. Duval County was created on August 12, 1822 and was formerly part of St. Johns County . Although the county's area was huge, it took more than twenty years before the first courthouse was constructed during the 1840s. A second courthouse

340-463: The Richmond Hotel (and more largely, Ashley Street) can be attributed to the Great Fire of 1901 . On May 3, 1901, a fire erupted in LaVilla, lasting 8 hours and burning up 146 city blocks. The fire destroyed over 2,300 buildings and left nearly 10,000 residents without homes. The fire began at a candle factory on the corner of Ashley and Davis Streets, spreading to the St. Johns River . James Weldon Johnson,

374-434: The Richmond Hotel was of a premier quality at the time. It was a popular destination at the time for famous African-American artists such as Cab Calloway , Duke Ellington , Ella Fitzgerald , and Billie Holiday . As a result of desegregation, the hotel closed its doors to the public in 1969. Thereafter, it was utilized for retail purposes. Following the forlorn times of segregation, the hotel's business progressively died to

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408-454: The beginning of World War I . Several Jacksonville architects began their careers in the offices of Klutho's firm. Klutho was born in Breese, Illinois , 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. Klutho read about

442-498: The budget for contingency. Construction was awarded to Cannon Design. In 2003 Delaney left office and was succeeded by John Peyton . Construction continued under Cannon, but budget and size estimates fluctuated. Peyton stopped work on the courthouse complex on October 28, 2004, and fired Cannon and construction managers Skanska Dynamic Partners. At the time, the project had not broken ground, but project design, property acquisition, site work and utility relocation had been completed, at

476-486: The city, “thoroughly modern”. The 1902 courthouse was demolished; the 1914 annex was preserved and later expanded to include the site of the 1902 courthouse. In December of 2018 the Fourth courthouse was demolished. The 2000 Census counted over three-quarters of a million people in Duval County, an increase of 67% since the prior courthouse opened. The Bay Street facility had been overcrowded for many years and additional space

510-505: The contract. When it was discovered that the Auchter Company had financial troubles, the contract was withdrawn. In an attempt to retain the contract, Perry-McCall and Auchter merged to form a new company, but Jacksonville's General Counsel rejected their plan because the new company had not bid on the project. Second place bidder, Turner Construction Company, which partnered with Technical Construction Services Group and KBJ Architects ,

544-460: The creation of a new armory building. That structure became part of the Lanier Building, which was demolished in 2003. Rutledge Holmes designed the 1902 courthouse, which had a stone exterior. The architect incorporated up to seven additional floors in the design, but the original building was never expanded. Instead, when additional space was required, an annex was added in 1914, nearly doubling

578-569: The design from KBJ Architects. Turner Construction was chosen as contractor. Turner Construction is also the company that built VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville. Based on that recommendation and after intensive study, the Jacksonville City Council approved a $ 350 million county courthouse complex in April, 2008 that was supported by Mayor Peyton and Chief Circuit Judge Donald Moran . The council also agreed that any proceeds from

612-424: The district where the bulk of Negroes in the western end of the city live - the firemen spend all their efforts saving a low row of frame houses just across the street on the south side of the factory, belonging to a white man named Steve Melton." After the fire ended, multiple noted architects helped to rebuild the city. Henry J. Klutho of New York was significant in the redevelopment of the downtown area, though he

646-446: 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,

680-911: The fresh ideas. Between 1907 and the start of World War I, Klutho 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

714-618: The mid 2010s. Throughout the 1990s, demolition derby parties were held throughout the Downtown area, including LaVilla. While The Blue Chip (another hotel for African-American guests in LaVilla) did not survive demolition, the Richmond Hotel did. The former site of the Blue Chip is now a vacant lot. Currently, the Richmond Hotel operates under the name Delo Studios, a multi-use space for meetings and events, galleries, and photography studios. Throughout

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748-439: The new City Hall and private homes. 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

782-496: The point where it is now essentially abandoned. For some time throughout the 70s and 80s, various retail stores were placed on the ground-level floor of the building. The upper two levels were reserved as boarding houses rented out to locals. Perhaps the most popular retail store located in the hotel was the DeLoach Furniture Co., a family-owned furniture store that served Jacksonville for over 90 years prior to its closing in

816-557: 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

850-445: The railroad terminal. Most of its 38 rooms have running water, with many bathrooms adjacent. The Richmond Hotel boasts a quiet, homelike atmosphere. A Tea Room is operated for the convenience of guests" (p. 97). Originally built in 1909, the Richmond Hotel operated as the hub for prominent black residents and celebrities to stay during the time. At the time it was the only black-only hotel in the area. Compared to other segregated places,

884-531: The sale of the current riverfront courthouse and the City Hall annex be used to pay for the increased costs of the new courthouse construction. ^$ 64.3 million already spent to-date for land acquisition, utility relocation and previous design efforts Construction began in May 2009, with more than 400 workers engaged for over a year. The courthouse was completed in 2012 and opened on June 18, 2012. The courthouse includes

918-463: The theaters and clubs, they would stay in nearby hotels, such as the Richmond Hotel (renamed Egmont Hotel) and Hotel de Dreme (renamed in the 1920s as the Wynn Hotel). The most prominent area of LaVilla for bohemians was Ashley Street. Due to the Richmond Hotel's location to Ashley Street, the hotel was once a popular place to stay for many famous and affluent people. It is possible that the success of

952-561: The usable courthouse space. An architecturally modern courthouse was constructed on East Bay Street and dedicated in 1958, ten years before consolidation and at a time when the entire county's population was just over 450,000. During that same time, Jacksonville built the Haydon Burns Library , Friendship Fountain , Jacksonville Memorial Coliseum , the current Courthouse Annex and the CSX Transportation Building, making

986-448: 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. 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 Erasmus : "In

1020-493: Was burned to the ground during the Civil War . It took another twenty years before it was replaced with a brick building, constructed in 1886, which lasted until the Great Fire of 1901 , which destroyed most of downtown Jacksonville. After the fire, the courthouse was one of the first buildings reconstructed, across the street from the old one. The exterior brick walls of the old courthouse remained mostly intact and were utilized in

1054-484: Was constructed in 1886, but was burned in the Great Fire of 1901 . The third courthouse was constructed in 1902 and closed in 1958. A new courthouse funded by the Better Jacksonville Plan was planned in 2000, but budget issues and rising costs delayed its construction until 2009. The first courthouse erected in Duval County was constructed of wood during the 1840s where Forsyth and Market Street intersect. It

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1088-480: Was desperately needed. State law required the local government to construct a new facility. Mayor John Delaney proposed the Better Jacksonville Plan , a $ 2.25 billion package of projects, including a new courthouse. The referendum on the Better Jacksonville Plan passed on September 5, 2000, and planning for the courthouse commenced. Costs were estimated at $ 190 million, with another $ 20 million built into

1122-650: Was given an opportunity to negotiate a contract with the city in July 2007, by approval of the Competitive Sealed Proposal Evaluation Committee. On November 16, 2007, the Courthouse Architectural Review Committee (CARC) convened to review the new options under consideration by the administration and voted 4-1 to pursue the mayor's recommendation to build one 800,000 square foot facility on the existing LaVilla site using

1156-522: Was involved in the design of buildings in the Avondale and Riverside neighborhoods. 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

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