Stepping foot into parts of Ed Austin State Attorney’s Office is like taking a step back into history.
A law library and an original courtroom have returned to their former glory.
Historic corridors with terrazzo floors and lighting fixtures connect office areas.
Elevator doors with an eagle-motif, fashioned in the art-deco-style, remain in place on the ground floors.
Renderings of the iconic “Blind Justice” figure are carved in the ceiling of the restored courtroom.
Eighty years of history in a monument of 1930s-era design for some of Jacksonville’s government history.
Since February, it’s been the workplace of State Attorney Angela Corey and others in her office. “We just love it,” said Corey.
New decor in the public areas preserves some of Jacksonville’s government history, including a city seal that originally was installed in the City Council chamber on the top floor of the former City Hall building along East Bay Street. It’s one of several municipal artifacts displayed.
In 2003, when the federal government transferred ownership of the Old Federal Courthouse to the city, the agreement included requirements to preserve much of the building’s historic value.
The building, located at 311 W. Monroe St., eventually was designated as the site for the State Attorney’s Office segment of the Duval County Unified Courthouse Facility.
Prosecutors made the move in February following a $32 million renovation, which included restoration of historic architecture and original fixtures.
Now, the group is adding history of its own to the building named after Ed Austin, the longtime state attorney and former mayor.
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