The Claude Nolan Cadillac building, located at 937 N. Main Street, was one of the earliest car dealerships in Jacksonville. Built in 1911-1912, it was designed by architect Henry J. Klutho in the Prairie style. The facade was completely redesigned in 1948 by W.A. Moore Jr.
Image Courtesy J. Grey CC BY NC
Visit Abandoned Florida's website to read about the history of the company, then read this article (login to Library database required) about one of the first Cadillacs sold in Jacksonville, a 1908 Model S similar to the one pictured above.
Curious about the history of the Cadillac company in general? This 2015 article from GlobalCarBrands.com offers a timeline showing Cadillac's growth from its inception in 1902 until the present day.
Claude Nolan Cadillac dealership - Jacksonville, Florida. 191-. Image Courtesy State Archives of Florida.
This photo essay from Abandoned Southeast includes many images of the current interior.
This photo from 1925 of men posed in a Cadillac garage are likely mechanics and other employees of Claude Nolan. Image courtesy State Archives of Florida.
Born in Illinois, Henry John Klutho studied business in St. Louis, Missouri before becoming interested in architecture and moving to New York City. After reading about the 1901's Great Fire of Jacksonville in the New York Times, he moved south to take advantage of the city's newly blank canvas. You can read a bit about his life and his work in Jacksonville in this post from the Jacksonville Historical Society, or watch the video below in which local architect Robert Broward discusses his book, The architecture of Henry John Klutho : the Prairie School in Jacksonville.
Portrait of Henry John Klutho, 19--. Image courtesy State Archives of Florida.
Buildings in Jacksonville designed by architect Henry J. Klutho . 19--. Image Courtesy State Archives of Florida.
Fallingwater (Kaufmann Residence) by Frank Lloyd Wright. Image Courtesy Wikipedia.
An architectural style usually which emphasized horizontal lines and the aesthetic of the Arts and Crafts Movement, the Prairie School was popular in America during the late 19th and early 20th century. Itsmost famous proponent was Frank Lloyd Wright, both of who worked out of Chicago. You can read more about the Prairie School at this post on Architecture.org or this one from PrarieSchoolArchitecture.com. Log into your library account through my.fscj.edu to read more about Frank Lloyd Wright's life and career here.
American Architectural History by
This major new text presents a collection of recent writings on architecture and urbanism in the United States, with topics ranging from colonial to contemporary times. In terms of content and scope, there is no collection, in or out of print, directly comparable to this one. The essays are drawn from the past twenty years' of publishing in the field, arranged chronologically from colonial to contemporary and accessible in thematic groupings, contextualized and introduced by Keith Eggener. Drawing together 24 illustrated essays by major and emerging scholars in the field, American Architectural History is a valuable resource for students of the history of American art, architecture, urbanism, and material culture.
The Houses by
Frank Lloyd Wright is not only synonymous with architecture, his name is also synonymous with the American house in the twentieth century. In particular, his residential work has been the subject of continuing interest and controversy. Wright's Fallingwater (1935), the seminal masterpiece perched over a waterfall deep in the Pennsylvania highlands, is perhaps the best-known private house in the history of the world. In fact, Wright's houses-from his Prairie style Robie House (1906) in Chicago, to the Storer (1923) and Freeman (1923) houses in Los Angeles, and Taliesen West (1937) in the Arizona desert-are all touchstones of modern architecture. For the first time, all 289 extant houses are shown here in exquisite color photographs. Along with Weintraub's stunning photos and a selection of floor plans and archival images, the book includes text and essays by several leading Wright scholars. Frank Lloyd Wright: The Houses is an event of great importance and a major contribution to the literature on this titan of modern architecture.
Frank Lloyd Wright by
Frank Lloyd Wright presents a stunning overview of the work of this towering American genius, encompassing the entirety of Wright’s long and extraordinarily prolific career. From his earliest work, such as the Home and Studio in Oak Park, IL, of 1889, to the wonderfully evocative textile block houses of Los Angeles of the mid-1920s, to such seminal masterpieces as Fallingwater, of 1935, in the Pennsylvania wilderness, and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, of 1956, in New York, the book offers an extraordinarily abundant trove of architectural riches. Featuring more than a hundred discrete works, from the well known to the obscure, expertly discussed in the text of highly respected Wright scholar Kathryn Smith, Frank Lloyd Wright weaves a gorgeous tapestry that will engage the mind and delight the eye.
Frank Lloyd Wright: A Film by Ken Burn
Uses interviews and archival footage to tell the story of the melodramatic life and stunning architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright.
