Jacksonville Home Loans

Posted onJanuary 11, 2012 - 3:50 am by Admin | 0 Comments

From 1869 until 1901 - the year that changed Downtown Jacksonville's fate - the site of the St. James Building was a bustling center of activity for the town once called "Cowford" for the narrow spot where cattle crossed the St. Johns River. Beneath one roof, the site was home to the St. James Inn (named for the patron saint of travelers), which regularly hosted the elite of its day, including literary celebrities and high society folks from New York and London. These monied visitors enjoyed performances by world famous orchestras, haute cuisine and a wine room, plus a plush reading room and a passenger elevator. As many as 500 guests could be comfortably accommodated at the renowned St. James Inn during its heyday.

Great Fire of 1901 Destroys the St. James

Then came the day that would burn up newspaper headlines nationwide and forever change downtown Jacksonville. In the early morning of May 3, 1901, sparks from a lunchtime kitchen would ride a breeze to a nearby mattress factory rooftop, igniting piles of Spanish moss used to stuff upholstery. In just one day, a wild blaze dubbed the "Great Fire of 1901" would lay waste to Jacksonville's downtown core, destroying nearly 2,400 buildings and 146 city blocks, killing seven and leaving upwards of 10,000 people homeless. That evening, Governor William Jennings declared martial law and the state militia were dispatched.


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