Jacksonville Architecture

Claiming to be "Florida's largest automobile storage garage," the Auto Hotel and Laundry opened in 1928. One of Jacksonville's earliest parking garages, it offered "to render a complete automotive service in a central location, providing . . . storage, modern car washing and cleaning, lubrication, hydraulic brake service and mechanical repairs." The building features two-way ramps connecting the floors so that cars can be moved through the building without having to be arranged. The design of the building is quite pleasing, considering its purpose. The facade partially reveals the building's structural frame, with expansive horizontal bands of windows crossing the vertical series of pilasters, which are five-stories tall and are capped by triangular insets. The central parapet bears a tablet inscribed with the date "1927." An intriguing aspect of this building is that another structure built in 1927 two blocks away at 225 West Adams Street (photo below) had a nearly identical facade. It was also built as a garage, but was converted to retail and office space two years later. This twin building was demolished for the construction of the Florida National Bank Building in 1960.