Thomas V. Porter House
Encyclopedia
The Thomas V. Porter House is a historic home in Jacksonville
, Florida
. It is located at 510 Julia Street, and was designed by New York
architect
Henry John Klutho
. On May 13, 1976, it was added to the U.S.
National Register of Historic Places
.
(later U.S. Senator) on the opposite corner.
In 1902, Henry J. Klutho, 28, already a pioneer of modern American architecture was selected to design the mansion, which the architect described as "Classic Colonial", as one of his first commissions after the Great Fire of 1901. His Dyal-Upchurch Building
and Jacksonville City Hall were also being completed that same year. The highlight of the Porter mansion is the grand two-story portico with six Corinthian columns, a serpentine balcony and a coffered ceiling. The mansard roof originally had a widow's walk. Initially the mansion featured an ornate one-story veranda on three sides. This colonnaded veranda was removed when the mansion was purchased in 1925 by the First Christian Church, which moved Porter's home around the corner to its present location. The church used the mansion as offices and Sunday school classrooms. They also added a two story section to the rear of the mansion for additional office space.
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 510 Julia Street, and was designed by New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
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 May 13, 1976, 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
The mansion was constructed for Thomas V. Porter, a successful businessman in wholesale groceries and, later, a developer. When it was constructed in 1902, the mansion faced Church street at the corner of Julia. This intersection was among the most prominent residential areas of Downtown after the 1901 Fire, with the stately home of U.S. Senator James P. Taliaferro across the street from the Porter residence, and the mansion of Mayor Duncan U. FletcherDuncan U. Fletcher
Duncan Upshaw Fletcher was an American lawyer and politician of the Democratic Party. Senator Fletcher was the longest serving U.S. Senator in Florida's history.-Early life and career:...
(later U.S. Senator) on the opposite corner.
In 1902, Henry J. Klutho, 28, already a pioneer of modern American architecture was selected to design the mansion, which the architect described as "Classic Colonial", as one of his first commissions after the Great Fire of 1901. His Dyal-Upchurch Building
Dyal-Upchurch Building
The Dyal-Upchurch 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...
and Jacksonville City Hall were also being completed that same year. The highlight of the Porter mansion is the grand two-story portico with six Corinthian columns, a serpentine balcony and a coffered ceiling. The mansard roof originally had a widow's walk. Initially the mansion featured an ornate one-story veranda on three sides. This colonnaded veranda was removed when the mansion was purchased in 1925 by the First Christian Church, which moved Porter's home around the corner to its present location. The church used the mansion as offices and Sunday school classrooms. They also added a two story section to the rear of the mansion for additional office space.