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-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 the land of the blind, a one-eyed man is king." Klutho lived to be 91, but had little money, making his later years 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: Dyal–Upchurch Building Florida Baptist Building Old Jacksonville Free Public Library (a/k/a Carnegie Library) Larimer Memorial Library Morocco Temple St. James Building (now the Jacksonville City Hall) Thomas V. Porter House Alexander St. Clair-Abrams House Henry John Klutho House the architect's residence Bisbee Building Florida Life Building Hotel James in Palatka Gallery See also Architecture of Jacksonville References Notes 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 at Henry John Klutho buildings History of Jacksonville, Florida 1873 births 1964 deaths Architects from Illinois Modernist architects Prairie School architecture Architects from Jacksonville, Florida