May-Cohens: Jacksonville's Big Store

[Elwood]

The link below has several pictures of the exterior and interior of former May-Cohens/St. James building, including the octagon dome and supporting statues (near the bottom of the page). http://www.prairieschooltraveler.com/html/fl/stjames/St.James.html

[thelakelander]

^Stupid me.  I forgot to go to that website while putting the article together.  Yes, that's a pretty cool site that has images of just about every Prairie School structure in Jax (possibly excluding the Northside though).

[thelakelander]

^compared to today:

[fsujax]

There was at one time a very large chandelier, that hung in the middle of the skylight, if I am not mistaken.

[Wacca Pilatka]

There is a picture of the chandelier in the Klutho book mentioned upthread, as well as the dome picture that Lake posted.  Also a close-up comparison of the statues then and now.

As you can see in the dome picture Lake posted, there was also a Star of David motif to the railings.

[Tacachale]

^Are the statues there now new, or did they just move the old ones up?

[Wacca Pilatka]

^Are the statues there now new, or did they just move the old ones up?

They are new.  Recreations of the originals, but more cheaply done.

[Wacca Pilatka]

One thing I really appreciate about City Hall is the effort to incorporate some of the original features from Klutho's vision, even if they could not be exactly or exquisitely replicated.  Not only the dome and statues but the suspended glass canopy with globe lights over the main entrance.

[Tacachale]

^I agree with you 100% on that. It's a marvelous building and they did great work with it.

[Timkin]

^ I am just glad the building was spared, and did not join the Robert Meyer, Woolworths , Penney's,  Sears and  The many hotels that once graced the downtown , and end up in a landfill.  Today it still is a truly beautiful building.

[Mike D]

It would be a mistake to write off downtown Jacksonville.  Like Ben Says, I can get pretty downcast when I reflect on how much has been lost, and how much damage has been done by poor planning, policies, etc.  But I lean more in the direction expressed by the Lakelander.  Even with all that's been lost, there is immense possibility in what's left, if only the city can stop bulldozing, deleting the past, and trying to come up with the next "big thing."  Quit trying to make Jacksonville someplace that it's not.  It is not Charlotte, Atlanta, Miami, etc...nor should it try to be.  It is a perfectly good city on its own merits, and has assets most cities would kill for (start with the St. Johns River and the Atlantic Ocean and take it from there).  It is not living in the past to want to preserve the historic buildings that are left, and nurture some life back into what was once a great downtown. 

[Jumpinjack]

+1

[Dog Walker]

Even the new elevators have brass bars on the back that reflect the folding doors on the old elevators.  There's some good design going on in there.

[Wacca Pilatka]

I scanned several pictures of the inside of Cohen's from the Klutho book last night, but couldn't figure out how to upload them to MJ...if anyone would like me to e-mail them, please send me a message.

[duvaldude08]

There was at one time a very large chandelier, that hung in the middle of the skylight, if I am not mistaken.

Take a second look. The chandelier is in the picture above you. Looking from that angel, it looks really small. LOL