Jacksonville’s Buckingham Palace

According to the Royal. Uk website, Buckingham Palace has “served as the official London residence of the UK’s sovereigns since 1837”.  It was built in our around 1703 but has served the Royals for many years as the “Queen’s House” where she and dignitaries from all over the world meet.  I guess this year, it may become the “King’s House” as King Charles III will be crowned.

Buckingham Palace, Royal Photo

In the late 1800’s in the Jacksonville, Florida area, Osceola, the Seminole Indian leader was captured near St. Augustine and taken to the Fort. Also happening in and around 1837 was the formation of the First Baptist Church of Jacksonville, also known as Bethel.

Just above Jacksonville, on Amelia at that time the lighthouse, Florida’s oldest began guiding ships along the shoreline.  State Supreme Court Justice Jamie Grosshans spoke at the River Club in 2021 and explained that those forming our state were putting together the Florida Constitution was written and adopted by 1838.  

There are no buildings in and around Jacksonville that compare to the massive Buckingham Palace with its 775 rooms and yet we have our own great administrative building such as the St. James.  It began as the St. James hotel in 1869 and was burned in the Great Fire of Jacksonville in 1901.  It was rebuilt after the fire and reopened in 1912.  It was one of the largest buildings at that time. According to Wikipedia, the St. James hotel could lodge some 500 guests and had a laundry area, barbershop, telegraph desk and place for concerts.

St James Hotel turned Jacksonville City Hall(Photo- Fl Memory)

The 117 West Duval Street place was purchased by the City of Jacksonville, Florida in 1993, remodelled it and reopened in1997.  Today it serves as the Jacksonville City Hall. 

There are no coronations there and yet this month in our city, we will elect a Mayor whose office will use our St. James Building.  This month in London there will be a coronation of the King of England where he will continue to use Buckingham Palace as a residence and place to bring together leaders of the world.

I’ll take some pics while I’m there during this event and share them when I return.

See you tomorrow,

Nan

Sources:  Jaxdailyrecord . Com, Wikipedia, Personal visit to the both sites.