The Klutho Restoration
The Klutho Apartment Building underwent a complete restoration as a statement of faith in the economic corridor of North Main Street. The center now houses a mix of nonprofits and small businesses that are working to restore the Springfield area.
Restoration of the Klutho Apartment Building
In 1998, the City of Jacksonville asked FreshMinistries to take over the restoration of an important architectural landmark on North Main Street, The Klutho Apartment Building.
FreshMinistries agreed to this ambitious undertaking as a way to ignite the collapsed economy of the North Main Street corridor, which was once a vital gateway to Jacksonville. The restoration became the cornerstone of the FreshMinistries North Main Street
Economic Redevelopment Initiative.
The restoration took four years and the efforts of many individuals, groups and companies, such as David Lee, who managed the project as his gift to the community, the Weaver Family Foundation, which provided matching funds, the City of
Jacksonville and the State of Florida. Several other private donations allowed the project to be completed.
History of Klutho Restoration
The Klutho Building, formerly The Klutho Apartment Building, is a shining example of what was once the early days of Jacksonville. The building, constructed in 1906 by architect Henry J. Klutho, was used as luxury apartments for the silent-film stars like Oliver Hardy, Tom Mix and Charlie Chaplin, when they frequented the movie lots of Jacksonville. The building fell into disrepair by the 1970s and was gutted by a fire in the early 90s. All that seemed to be salvageable was its façade, but that was enough to encourage FreshMinistries to take on the project as an economic development project.
Under the direction of architect Bob Broward and the project management of David Lee, The Klutho restoration was completed in 2004. The Center is home to the FreshMinistries Center for Urban Initiatives, and provides space for several businesses and non-profits focused on urban work. The new facility has a community meeting room and historical exhibits.
Restoration of the building was challenging. More than 75 percent of the building’s interior had been damaged by fire, and the three floors lay in a pile of debris on the foundation floor. The back of the building was removed to allow a crane to remove the debris, then restoration began.
The Klutho Building in past eras
Architect Henry Klutho, much influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright and the Chicago School of Architecture, came to Jacksonville after the great fire of 1901. He saw his opportunity to help define the architectural character of Jacksonville, and his unique stamp is on the city today, as several noted buildings designed by Klutho still stand, including his own residence at 9th and North Main.
Among the many noted Jacksonville buildings he designed are:
Other sites with information about Henry Klutho and his architecture:
http://www.state.fl.us/govman/history_klutho.html
http://jaxhistory.com/klutho-book-1.html
