Jacksonville Architecture

The Seminole Club has been a gathering place for Jacksonville's civic and business leaders for nearly a century, and its prominent location across from Hemming Park makes this building a well known downtown landmark. Teddy Roosevelt once made a campaign speech from the club's front porch. Established in 1887, it is Jacksonville's oldest social club for men and the seventh oldest in the United States. The Seminole Club's building has twice been destroyed by fire, first in 1891 and again in 1901. The new building was begun on this site in September, 1902, and was originally only two stories tall. It cost $25,000 to build and featured a rooftop garden. In 1907 the roof garden was removed, and a third story was added to the building, providing fifteen rooms for bachelor residents. The architecture of the building shows the Colonial Revival influence, as demonstrated by the symmetrical massing and the columned verandas. The building has been altered over the years by enclosing the second story balcony and removing the decorative wooden balustrades on the upper two stories, yet it is still a significant link with the architecture and social milieu of the Jacksonville of yesteryear.