1. Description

2. History

3. Notable places

4. Transportation

5. Gallery

6. See also

7. References

Laura Street is a north-south street in Jacksonville, Florida, United States, named for the daughter of the city's founder, Isaiah D. Hart. Historically, the downtown portion of Laura Street has been considered the financial district of Jacksonville.

Description

The street's contiguous segment runs from 12th Street in the historic neighborhood of Springfield south through downtown, terminating at Independent Drive. South of State Street, Laura Street runs though the core of downtown's Northbank, and is one of the busiest pedestrian streets in the city.

Serving as an important corridor connecting a high concentration of office blocks, the area has historically functioned as a preeminent shopping and financial district, and has remained an important economic and cultural epicenter for the region. The street is also home to Jacksonville's oldest park, Hemming Park, the Jacksonville Landing, Main Public Library, the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville, and City Hall.^[1]

History

Laura Street was named for the daughter of Jacksonville's founder, Isaiah D. Hart.^[2] In 1856, the city's oldest public park was designated along Laura Street, occupying the entire city block bordered by Monroe, Hogan and Duval Streets. The area attracted numerous hotels, most notably the St. James Hotel, completed in 1869, and the Windsor Hotel, completed in 1875.^[3]

The Great Fire of 1901 ravaged almost the entirety of today's modern downtown core, including much of Laura Street. The street did act as a fire line between the junctions of Adams Street through to the St. Johns River.^[4] Just as in the 1871 Great Chicago Fire, the massive level of destruction left in the wake of the fire precipitated a robust period growth and a building boom that would last up until the Great Depression. The corridor between Adams Street, where a remaining portion of the business district still existed, and Hemming Park, was the center of much of the more notable commercial development.

Originally the Mercantile Exchange Bank Building, one of the first buildings to be built after the fire was the Old Florida National Bank in 1902. It was designed by Edward H. Glidden in the Classical Revival style, and is now part of a group of buildings known as the Laura Street Trio. Architect Henry John Klutho designed the other two buildings: the Bisbee Building in 1908, and the Florida Life Building in 1911, both designed in the Chicago school of architecture. He also designed the YMCA Building in 1909, and the St. James Building in 1912.^[5] New York architecture firm Mowbray and Uffinger contributed two significant structures to the corridor during this period. In 1909, 121 Atlantic Place, originally Atlantic National Bank Building, opened as the tallest building in Florida. Barnett National Bank Building opened its doors in 1926, also breaking the state height record.^[6] Local architecture firm Marsh & Saxelbye also contributed multiple works along the route, including Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum (1921), Schultz Building (1926), Hotel George Washington (1926) and Greenleaf & Crosby Building (1928).

In 2011, $2.3 million was spent to enhance the street by adding traffic calming features, more sidewalk space, trees with colorful uplighting and other hardscape features. In 2015, a five-block segment of Laura Street beginning at West Duval Street near Hemming Park, stretching to the Jacksonville Landing, and ending at East Independent Drive, was recognized by the American Planning Association as one of its "Great Places in America."^[8]

Notable places

From south to north:

• Jacksonville Landing and Andrew Jackson Statue, Independent Drive
• SunTrust Tower, Independent Drive
• Wells Fargo Center, between Independent Drive and Bay Street
• Bank of America Tower, between Bay and Forsyth Streets
• CenterState Bank Building, Forsyth Street
• 121 Atlantic Place, Forsyth Street
• Laura Street Trio, Forsyth Street
• Barnett National Bank Building, Adams Street
• Greenleaf & Crosby Building and Jacobs Jewelers Clock, Adams Street
• Elks Club Building, Adams Street
• The Carling, Adams Street
• Schultz Building, Adams Street
• Snyder Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church, Monroe Street
• Main branch of the Jacksonville Public Library, Monroe Street
• Hemming Park, between Monroe and Duval Streets
• Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville, Duval Street
• City Hall (St. James Building), between Duval and Church Streets
• Florida State College at Jacksonville downtown campus, between State and 1st Streets
• Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum, 1st Street
• Klutho Park, 1st Street

Transportation

The Jacksonville Landing is at the southern terminus of Laura Street and offers access to the Jacksonville Water Taxi as well as other marine services.

The Jacksonville Skyway serves two stations near Laura Street:

• Hemming Park station at Monroe Street
• Rosa Parks Transit Station at State Street (central JTA bus station)

Gallery

See also

• Economy of Jacksonville
• Architecture of Jacksonville
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Duval County, Florida

References

• Niall Ó Donnghaile
• Niall Ó Muineacháin
• Nial O'Glacan
• Nial R. Hysell
• Nialuok language
• Niambit
• Niamey Grand Mosque
• Niamh Briggs
• Niamh Humphreys
• Niamh Kilkenny
• Niamh Marie Redmond
• Niamh McDonald
• Niamh McGrath
• Niamh Ní Charra
• Niamh Rippin
• Niamh Ui Bhriain
• Niamh Uí Bhriain
• Niamh Wilson
• Niamid
• Niamidal
• Niamide
• Niamien Rodolph Amessan
• Niamiha
• Niamiha (disambiguation)
• Niamiha disaster