Jacksonville Architecture

Marsh and Saxelbye designed more large buildings in Downtown during the 1920's than any other architectural firm, much as Klutho had dominated the Downtown skyline from 1901 to 1914. The Levy Building was one of four large eclectic Commercial-style buildings designed by Marsh and Saxelbye in this three-block stretch of West Adams within a two-year period [George Washington Hotel, 1926, (demolished); Greenleaf & Crosby Building, 1927, (D-72); and Hildebrandt Building, 1926-1927, (D-12)]. All of these buildings made extensive use of terra-cotta, a molded and fired ceramic material, which is highly decorative and moderately durable. Except for the polished granite base, the entire four-story facade of the Levy Building is clad in terra-cotta, featuring leaf and griffin motifs in the spandrel panels. The building cost over $425,000 to construct. Originally built as a department store, the Levy Building was remodeled in 1985 to become an office building. This renovation altered the rhythm of the facade by replacing the original wooden sash windows with reflective glass.