» historic

• Belleair

  Written by MyPinellas.com 1 Comment
  Last Updated: February 23, 2011

  The town of Belleair may be small – encompassing just 2 square miles – but within its boundaries are three 18-hole golf courses, a well-appointed community center and seventeen public parks. Brick-paved streets shaded by dramatic tree canopies are lined with stately mansions, private estates and upscale condominium residences.

  Wonderful History
  Early Spanish explorers called the area Pescua, or Place of Flowers, and Belleair today retains its incredible natural beauty. Perched on a bluff above Clearwater Bay, Belleair also maintains an air of grandeur, perhaps stemming from the 1890s when railroad magnate Henry B. Plant built the magnificent Belleview Biltmore Hotel there.

  Still in operation and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Belleview Biltmore continues to attract visitors from around the world. Some of the area’s first homes, constructed with a view of the Belleview’s golf course, still stand today. Luxury and opulence extend throughout the town; Belleair boasts some of the most magnificent upscale neighborhoods in all of Florida.

  Busy Enjoying
  The 4,500 residents of Belleair enjoy a wealth of activities organized by the Belleair Recreation Department, including summer camps and tennis lessons for kids to yoga classes and bridge clubs for adults. The many city festivals, races and celebrations culminate at the end of each year with the popular Holiday Tree Lighting.

  Property Search:
  Find a Home in this Community

  
  Photo Gallery:
  

  Powered by DM PhotoAlbums™

  Full Screen

  Factoids:
  Population: 4,500
  Land Area: 1.79 Sq. Miles
  Median Age: 52.7

  Points of Interest: Belleview Biltmore Hotel, Some of the area’s first homes, Belleview’s golf course, Belleair Recreation Department, Summer camps, Tennis lessons for kids, Yoga classes, Bridge clubs for adults, City Festivals, Races and the popular Holiday Tree Lighting.

• Another Kind of Hill in St. Petersburg

  Written by Bob Horn No Comments
  Last Updated: July 24, 2009

  

  Everyone knows that St. Petersburg doesn’t have any hills, right? Wrong! We do have some hills scattered around the city. They may not be the big, rolling hills that people in north Florida or much of the rest of the country are used to, but there are some hills to be found. Some of them are real, naturally occurring hills that managed to challenge the status quo of the otherwise flat terrain in our area. But some of them were man-made. I’ve already written about the hills of Roser Park near downtown St. Petersburg, and in future posts, I’ll talk about some of the other hills that you can explore in the city, but for today’s post, I’m going to tell you about one particular man-made hill that’s an interesting St. Petersburg spot.

  The hill that I’m talking about is actually an Indian shell mound. It was built by native St. Petersburg residents, probably in the early 1500’s. Although there is a plaque posted at the site that credits the Timucua Indians with its construction, that may not be correct, as the Timucua Indians seem generally to have lived in areas further north in Florida. Other sources credit the Tocobaga Indians, who are definitely known to have had villages on the northern end of Tampa Bay. Local historian Walter P. Fuller, in his publication “St. Petersburg and Its People”, simply referred to the local Indian people of that era as the “Spanish Indians”.

  In any case, the local residents built shell mounds for a variety of reasons. Some mounds were constructed to be used as the tribe temple, and that is believed to be the purpose behind this mound in Pinellas Point. Mounds were also constructed to be used as the home for the tribe’s chief. There were burial mounds. And there were ‘kitchen middens’. The kitchen midden was, in essence, a garbage mound that was built next to the kitchen. Since shellfish was one of the prime food sources for the native St. Petersburg residents, the kitchen midden could grow to great heights as the discarded shells of their food supply were piled into the mound.

  

  Princess Hirrihigua Plaque - Click On Image to Read It

  There’s a legend associated with the tribe that built this mound. It’s about an Indian Princess who saved an explorer from death. Really! Sounds a lot like another legend that we all learned about in school, doesn’t it? Rather than retell the story here, I would like to refer you to the plaque that’s posted at the site of this mound, and on the plaque, you can read the story for yourself. I’ve posted a small photo of the plaque here, and if you click on it, it will take you to a full-size photo of the plaque which should be big enough for you to read.

  So, that’s it for today – it’s just an interesting little piece of history, tucked away in the middle of a residential area of our 21st century city. If you’d like to visit the site yourself, it’s located at Pinellas Point Drive South, at about 21st Street South.

• St. Petersburg Clay Company

  Written by Bob Horn No Comments
  Last Updated: July 10, 2009

  In 1914, the Seaboard Railroad company applied to the City of St. Petersburg for permission to bring their railway into town.  They hoped to compete with the Orange Belt Railway, which had been the only railroad serving the city since the late 1800′s.  Despite some strong opposition from the Orange Belt company, the voters of St. Petersburg approved a referendum allowing Seaboard to come to town.  Seaboard began building a freight train depot at 420 22nd Street South, and the station opened on September 13th, 1926.  It was an active freight depot from that day right up until 1967, when it finally shut down.

  After it closed as a train station, the building was used for a number of different businesses over the years.  In 1993, the City of St. Petersburg placed the building on the Historic Register.  As one of the last remaining buildings of its kind in Pinellas County, it was decided that protection of the building for posterity should be a high priority.

  In 2000, a partnership was formed, the building was purchased, renovations to the tune of almost $1,000,000 were done, and the building reopened as the new home of the St. Petersburg Clay Company.

  The St. Petersburg Clay Company was founded four years earlier, in 1996, by three local artists – Stan Cowen, Russ Gustafson-Hilton, and Charlie Parker – with the purpose of providing a place for area potters to imagine, create, craft, display, and sell their works.  By renovating and purchasing the old Seaboard Railroad station, not only were they making great use of a very cool historic building, but they were also creating a rather powerful synergy, considering that the station is built entirely of clay bricks!  With their new, huge space, the Clay Company is able to offer just about every imaginable piece of studio equipment and tool that a potter might use in creating their works of beauty, along with a large number of different types of kilns for their member artists to use.  In addition to the facilities, tools, and kilns, there is also a very well-stocked potter supply store on the premises – Highwater Clays - where one can purchase all kinds of clays and pottery supplies.

  If you are someone who works with clay or would like to learn about working with clay, this IS the place for you!  There’s something for everyone – all sorts of membership levels are available for those who are already involved in this craft.  And there are several pottery classes held at the Clay Company, for both members and non-members, covering every facet of pottery craft.

  For those, like me, who are artistically inept but who love to look, touch, and purchase, there are LOTS of items for sale here, beautiful pieces, all handcrafted, almost all at incredibly good prices.  And at special times of year, like Valentine’s Day and Christmas, there can be special themed sales.  The public is always welcome to browse the gallery and the many display shelves throughout the old train station, and it’s just a wonderful building to walk around and appreciate in and of itself.

  This ia a great place to go for a glimpse of St. Petersburg history and a fun place to peruse local artists’ works at the same time.  And it’s only about one minute away from Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg.  For more details about the St. Petersburg Clay Company, you can check out the St. Petersburg Clay Company website.

• Palm Harbor

  Written by MyPinellas.com No Comments
  Last Updated: April 29, 2009

  More than 60,000 residents make the Palm Harbor community their home.  Currently an incorporated area and largely governed by Pinellas County, Palm Harbor features a wide variety of available housing choices.  From golf course communities with a country club atmosphere to lovely historic areas, from contemporary single family neighborhoods to condominium communities with boat slips and waterfront access, Palm Harbor has something to offer just about every homebuyer.

  History and Charm
  The entry to Palm Harbor’s historic downtown makes quite an impression with its Gateway Art Sculptures. Recently refurbished, Old Palm Harbor Main Street has preserved eight historic structures, and is the heart of this small town with a strong sense of community. The charming brick paving and tree-canopied sidewalks make the area especially conducive to an afternoon stroll through the shops.

  A short distance from the quaint downtown, with its mixture of retail service, and professional offices, is the main traffic artery U.S. 19, offering national chain restaurants and retailers a short distance from home. Those interested in golf will be glad to know that Innisbrook Golf Resort, a nationally regarded golf course, is located conveniently in Palm Harbor.

  Activities abound for residents. The Palm Harbor Parks and Recreation Department sponsors everything from dance classes and guitar lessons to kayaking and tennis for both youth and adults. The Main Street program sponsors a variety of events, including the Palm Harbor Parrot Head Party and First Fridays. The first Sunday in October, the Palm Harbor Junior Women’s Club sponsors the “Taste of Palm Harbor” festival, offering samples from more than 20 local restaurants. Proceeds of the event benefit the club’s grants and scholarship program.

  Property Search:
  Find a Home in this Community

  Photo Gallery:
  

  Powered by DM PhotoAlbums™

  Full Screen

  
  
  
  Factoids:
  Population: 60,000
  Land Area: 17.9 Sq. Miles
  Median Age: 43.2

  Points of Interest: Palm Harbor’s Historic Downtown, Gateway Art Sculptures, Brick Paving and Tree-Canopied Sidewalks, Shops, The Innisbrook Golf Resort, Dance Classes, Guitar Lessons, Kayaking, Tennis for youth and adults, Palm Harbor Parrot Head Party and First Fridays, The first Sunday in October, Taste of Palm Harbor festival.
• «
• « Newer
• 1
• Older »
• »