Dyal-Upchurch Building
Encyclopedia
The Dyal-Upchurch Building (also known as the Dyal-Upchurch Investment Company Building) is a six-story, 43,747-square-foot historic building in Jacksonville
, Florida
. It is located at 4 East Bay Street, and was designed by architect
Henry John Klutho
. On April 17, 1980, it was added to the U.S.
National Register of Historic Places
.
, the building was the first multi-story structure built in the barren downtown area and the first design by Klutho in Jacksonville. Construction began on a five-story building, but demand for office space spurred the addition of a sixth floor. As the name states, Dyal-Upchurch was a Georgia investment company that moved to Jacksonville after the fire. Frank Upchurch had interests in turpentine and lumber, while Benjamin Dyal owned a sawmill. The company ceased business in Jacksonville after 1924.
The Atlantic National Bank was founded shortly after the Dyal-Upchurch building opened in May, 1902 and was located on the first floor until their own building was constructed in 1909. Other tenants have included an office of the National Weather Service
, a regional office for the Connecticut General Life Insurance Company, law offices and a financial advice company.
When the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980, it became eligible to use rehabilitation tax credits when restoration work was performed in 1981, the first building in Jacksonville to do so.
The Husk Jennings advertising company bought the building in 1998 for $1.6 million and spent $600,000 to renovate the top floor, where the firm relocated.
In May, 2002, the city established the Downtown Historic Preservation and Revitalization Trust Fund with $7 million to assist companies that purchase and restore old buildings. The fund could pay up to half the cost of exterior work and one-fifth of interior work with a $1 million cap per building. That was sufficient incentive for Husk Jennings to begin a $1.72 million restoration of the rest of the building, for which the city kicked in almost $340,000.
Cameron Kuhn, a commercial developer from Orlando, Florida
, purchased the building in December, 2005 for $4.5 million, but defaulted on the mortgage when his company declared bankruptcy in 2008. The Dyal-Upchurch building was repossessed by The Jacksonville Bank in January, and sold on February 28, 2009 for $3.73 million to A. Duda & Sons of Oviedo, Florida
.
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. It is located at 4 East Bay Street, and was designed by architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
Henry John Klutho
Henry John Klutho
Henry John Klutho was an American architect of the "Prairie School" style. He helped in the reconstruction of Jacksonville, Florida after the Great Fire of 1901—the largest-ever urban fire in the Southeast—by designing many of the new buildings built after the disaster. This period lasted until...
. On April 17, 1980, it was added to the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
History
Following Jacksonville's Great Fire of 1901Great Fire of 1901
The Great Fire of 1901 in Jacksonville, Florida was one of the worst disasters in Florida history and the largest urban fire in the Southeast. It was similar in scale and destruction to the 1871 Great Chicago Fire.-Origin:...
, the building was the first multi-story structure built in the barren downtown area and the first design by Klutho in Jacksonville. Construction began on a five-story building, but demand for office space spurred the addition of a sixth floor. As the name states, Dyal-Upchurch was a Georgia investment company that moved to Jacksonville after the fire. Frank Upchurch had interests in turpentine and lumber, while Benjamin Dyal owned a sawmill. The company ceased business in Jacksonville after 1924.
The Atlantic National Bank was founded shortly after the Dyal-Upchurch building opened in May, 1902 and was located on the first floor until their own building was constructed in 1909. Other tenants have included an office of the National Weather Service
National Weather Service
The National Weather Service , once known as the Weather Bureau, is one of the six scientific agencies that make up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States government...
, a regional office for the Connecticut General Life Insurance Company, law offices and a financial advice company.
When the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980, it became eligible to use rehabilitation tax credits when restoration work was performed in 1981, the first building in Jacksonville to do so.
The Husk Jennings advertising company bought the building in 1998 for $1.6 million and spent $600,000 to renovate the top floor, where the firm relocated.
In May, 2002, the city established the Downtown Historic Preservation and Revitalization Trust Fund with $7 million to assist companies that purchase and restore old buildings. The fund could pay up to half the cost of exterior work and one-fifth of interior work with a $1 million cap per building. That was sufficient incentive for Husk Jennings to begin a $1.72 million restoration of the rest of the building, for which the city kicked in almost $340,000.
Cameron Kuhn, a commercial developer from Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
, purchased the building in December, 2005 for $4.5 million, but defaulted on the mortgage when his company declared bankruptcy in 2008. The Dyal-Upchurch building was repossessed by The Jacksonville Bank in January, and sold on February 28, 2009 for $3.73 million to A. Duda & Sons of Oviedo, Florida
Oviedo, Florida
Oviedo is a city in Seminole County, Florida, United States. The population was 26,316 as of the 2000 census. As of 2009, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 32,961...
.