What's the story on that old house?

News

Staff Writer

The question comes up regularly. “What’s the story on that old house at the corner of Hogan and Duval streets?”

That’s the Seminole Club, which is as steeped in history as anything Downtown.

It was the second private club in Jacksonville when founded on or about St. Patrick’s Day in 1887, at which time, according to newspaper accounts, “a few gentlemen” met at the Law Exchange Building.

The club holds the distinction as the first fraternal social club in the South.

At first, the club rented space at the Law Exchange for its activities. A few years later, the first building occupied exclusively by the club, at 11 E. Forsyth St., was destroyed by the Main Street Fire of 1891. Then the club moved into a building on North Main Street, but that structure was razed in the Great Fire of 1901.

As soon as the ashes cooled, club members purchased the property on Hogan Street. The Seminole Club, as it is known today, opened in April 1903 as a two-story structure with a rooftop garden. In 1907, the third story was added to accommodate 15 rooms for “bachelors.”

The Seminole Club was at the top of the social scene and hosted visiting dignitaries. Presidential candidate Teddy Roosevelt gave a campaign speech from the porch. Years later, another presidential candidate, Massachusetts Sen. John F. Kennedy, had coffee at the club after he campaigned in Hemming Park (now Hemming Plaza).

Jesse Prince worked at the Seminole Club from 1968 until it closed in 1989. He said while his job title was “headwaiter,” over the years he performed every job required to keep the private club running, including scheduling playing times on the handball and racquetball courts.

“It was like a fraternity. The members felt like they were at home when they were at the Seminole Club,” he said.

“I’ve got a lot of stories from those days. Most of them I can’t tell,” he added.

The club’s membership roster at one time was 1,000 names long and included the leading local figures in business, politics and law. Judges had their own designated tables, said Prince.

“It was the top dogs of Jacksonville,” said Prince. “Those were the days.”

For its first 100 years, the club did not allow women to join and they were only allowed on the first floor. The male-only membership rule changed in 1988 when club Past President Lou Ritter’s daughter, Nancy Seely, was allowed to join.

A group of former members attempted to revive the club in 1998. The effort was unsuccessful, but the building was designated by the City as a historic structure in 2006. Petra Management owns the property, which is listed for sale at $1.5 million.

One of the partners in the revival effort, attorney Doug Milne, said he appreciates the club’s history.

He said other than Downtown’s churches, “when the Seminole Club closed, it was probably the only building in Jacksonville built after the fire that was still being used for its original purpose. It was a tie to the past. That might be regrettable and it might be applaudable, but it gave a look into yesteryear and the old days when all of Jacksonville was Downtown.”

Milne also said he has a range of emotions when passing the building.

“We had lots of fun, happy times there, so it’s sad to see it closed, but even sitting empty, it’s a monument to the old days,” said Milne.