St. James Building

Jacksonville, United States

Open to visitors

The interior is normally open, possibly ticketed.

Strollie cannot guarantee access — always check before you travel.

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Designed by Henry John Klutho and completed in 1912, the St. James Building in Downtown Jacksonville stands as a Prairie School masterpiece and exemplar of the Chicago School style. Built on the former site of the St. James Hotel, this mixed-use structure originally housed the Cohen Bros. Department Store on its lower floors. One of many buildings Klutho designed following Jacksonville's devastating Great Fire of 1901, the St. James remained a commercial landmark until the department store's closure in 1987. The City of Jacksonville acquired the vacant building in 1993 as part of its River City Renaissance revitalization initiative and reopened it in 1997 as City Hall after extensive remodeling. The building was recognized by the American Institute of Architects's Florida Chapter in 2012 as part of its centennial celebration of significant regional architecture.