Bob the Builder

By Wayne Smith

Palatka Daily News

wsmith@palatkadailynews.com

Robert Taylor operated his architecture firm in the same building in downtown Palatka for 43 years.

During his career, Robert E. Taylor, AIA Architect PA touched more than 1,700 building projects, including many for the city of Palatka, several with Putnam County buildings and designing residential homes.

“I took every project that walked through the door,” Taylor said. “I’ve worked a long time and made a lot of wonderful friends, with the projects becoming personal to me.”

So, when Taylor and his wife, Dianne, decided to “transition” into semi-retirement, they put the building at 710 St. Johns Ave. up for sale.

“We didn’t know how long it would be on the market, but we got an offer and sold it in six months,” Taylor said. “We spent the month of June cleaning out the office and found original drawings for hundreds of former clients.”

The Taylors offered the drawings to clients in the process of relocating to their home office. Taylor’s architectural renderings were hand-drawn up until the 1980s when computer-assisted drawings revolutionized the industry.

“When we started connecting clients with their drawings, it was really just delightful to see,” Dianne Taylor said.

One drawing he discovered was for the Palatka Atlantic National Bank, designed in 1929 on linen paper rendered in India ink. The Taylors gave the drawing to the Putnam County Historical Society.

He also donated his printing machine, a KIP plotter, to St. Johns River State College for its drafting and CAD design courses. Desks, cabinets, furniture and surplus supplies from his office were donated to Habitat for Humanity, churches and schools.

“It was almost like a reunion, seeing many friends that we’ve worked with over the years,” Taylor said of presenting the drawings to longtime customers. “As we went through those drawings, I was amazed we had produced so many projects. And years went by where we produced all this by hand.”

Robert Taylor said he was pleased with the detail of the drawings, as were the clients when he presented it to them.

“Everything was done with a pencil and tracing paper,” Robert Taylor said. “We used to have a team of people who would draw and employed consultants. We all worked together to get the job done. The tedious and tiny things, safety measures, the thickness of the wood, the codes. That’s the most important part of the job – to make sure everything fits together.”

Taylor’s city of Palatka projects include renovations and restorations to the Tilghman House, the Larimer Building, Water Works, the train depot, City Hall and city parks. One of his designs is the iconic “witch’s hat” roof on the fishing pier at the Palatka riverfront.

“We had done the city pier, and we liked the idea of a hat,” Taylor said. “It was a fun idea. Fishing guides always have hats.”

His Putnam County projects have included fire stations and Emergency Management facilities, along with work for the Department of Health, Parks and Recreation and senior centers. Taylor said his office produced drawings and specifications for more than 200 Putnam churches, many of which were historic projects.

Taylor sold the building to Atmosphere Day Spa, which will be relocating to the site from 918 St. Johns Ave.

Moving into his home office on West River Road, Robert Taylor said he is enjoying the transitional phase of his career. The Taylors – the firm’s only full-time employees – don’t rely on alarm clocks to wake them up anymore. Their cats take care of that for them. An office assistant in Palatka answers calls to the business remotely.

The University of Florida graduate came to Palatka after other associates with the Gainesville firm he was working for turned down the opportunity. Moore, May and Harrington bought the Palatka firm previously run by Frank George

Taylor accepted the position in Palatka, figuring he would stick around for five years or so before heading to his hometown of Jacksonville.

He never left.

“The firm had five senior associates,” Robert Taylor said. “When the No. 5 principal decided he wasn’t going to go, I said, ‘Take me.’ They sent me over here and I started in April of 1974.

“I came over to run this office. I was a young guy and there were several people in this office at the time. About 1978, there was an economic downturn and I was the only one in the office. I don’t think I ever took a day off for about five years. I always thought I’d go back to Jacksonville, but once you get established somewhere, it’s hard to leave.”

Taylor bought the business from the Gainesville firm in 1978 and later bought the property, remodeling the building over the years as the company grew. He said he’s averaged about 40 projects per year during his 43-year career in Palatka.

Now 74, Taylor looks forward to working from his home office and taking on projects as he has time, while also spending time traveling with his wife and with the couple’s eight grandchildren.

“Having been in that building for so long, I had become attached to it,” Taylor said. “But Dianne and I kind of convinced each other it was time to let go, take the next step and put it on the market.”

Dianne Taylor agrees. She is enjoying transitioning to their home office, but misses some aspects of going to work downtown.

“We miss downtown because it is really picking up some exciting things,” she said. “I miss seeing the downtown grow like it is, but we’re still involved with the community through different things.”

Robert Taylor sees good things ahead for downtown, particularly as investments are made into renovating several buildings such as the 100 block and Hotel James.

“I love Palatka and I love the people here,” Robert Taylor said. “It just has such a nice feel.

“I’ve enjoyed my career. It’s fun to draw and it’s fun to create. That’s the best part of my job, with people coming to you and not really knowing what they want, giving them ideas and seeing them overjoyed.”

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