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Lucius
T. Smith House Designer unknown, 1913
Prominently sited on a large corner lot, this is one of the best remaining Prairie School residences in Jacksonville. The broad overhanging eaves, canopies, and extensive windows provide natural cooling and ventilation in Florida’s tropical weather, allowing the windows to remain open in the rainy season. The ornamentation is simple and abstract and contributes to the horizontal rhythm of the composition.
Lucius
T. Smith, a real estate developer, was the first owner of this
house. Although its architect is unknown, the overall design was
obviously influenced by Klutho's George
W. Clark Residence at 2059
Riverside Avenue (built in 1911 and now demolished). Smith's house
originally had a red brick first story, like the garage in the rear,
which further emphasized the strong horizontal flow of the exterior. In
1946
the house was converted to an osteopathic hospital, and a highly
unsympathetic addition was added to cover much of the front of the
house. The brick was stuccoed over. Thirty years later it was
dramatically restored to become a
residence again, but the brick of the lower story could not be salvaged.
The
identity of the designer of this house has been the subject of much
speculation, but the answer has eluded researchers. One tantalizing
clue is that N.L. Snelson, the contractor
for this house, had an office in
the St. James Building next door to architect Klutho at the time this residence was built. Adding to the enigma is a nearly identical house, the Langford-Kingston House, located in Ft. Myers, Florida. Snelson’s obituary states that he constructed several buildings in Ft. Myers, which suggests a possible correlation.
Listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1985 as part of the Riverside Historic District. Photos by Wayne W. Wood. References |
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