HENRY JOHN KLUTHO

Side One: Henry John Klutho (1873-1964) arrived in Jacksonville following the Great Fire of 1901, which destroyed most of the city’s downtown. A talented and prolific architect, he is known for designing many of Jacksonville’s most iconic historic buildings. Klutho was influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright and his philosophy of architecture, which became known as the Prairie School style. Klutho brought this style of architecture to the deep South. His personal residence, also built in the Prairie School style, was identified as the first modern house in the South. Klutho adopted Jacksonville as his home and lived in the house he built in 1908 until his death at the age of 91. The house was moved from N. Main Street to 30 W. 9th in 1925, and still stands as a private residence. Klutho’s grandest architectural achievement was the St. James Building, built in 1910 for Jacob and Morris Cohen. The building, which covers an entire city block, is considered one of Jacksonville’s most significant architectural works. Located at 117 W. Duval St., it has been restored and now operates as city hall. Many Klutho designed buildings in downtown Jacksonville still stand today and are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Side Two: During the early 1900s, Jacksonville became known as the “World’s Winter Film Capital.” From 1910-1920 more than 30 silent film companies set up shop and hundreds of films were produced. Klutho also played a part in the history of filmmaking in Jacksonville. As companies began leaving for Hollywood and other locations, Klutho sought to keep the industry alive in Jacksonville. In 1917, he invested his own money to build a state-of-the-art studio complex behind his home and the Klutho Apartment Building next door at 1830 N. Main Street. Built in 1913, the luxury apartments housed film stars who worked at the studios. The apartments featured gold-leaf, leaded art-glass windows, French doors, and a three-story light well. The building was nearly lost to arson in 1993. However, due to the tireless work of local preservationists, it was saved and restored. Although Klutho had success renting studio space to small independent film companies during World War I, he was forced to sell in 1920. The studio complex was demolished in 1922 and ultimately the combination of changing local politics, the 1918 flu epidemic, and World War I, provided too many obstacles for the movie industry to overcome in Jacksonville.