The St. Pete Project

All bricked up

2012-01-23T06:14:00.001-08:00

Out for a stroll one recent morning, I happened upon a downtown alleyway just north of 4th Avenue S that runs between two small, nearly-brand-new apartment buildings. The alleyway, like many old alleys in Downtown St Pete, was paved with bricks. And not just any bricks: noticeably, several different kinds of bricks, from several different Southern foundries. I found it interesting seeing some names I'd never heard of, being very used to the AUGUSTA BLOCK bricks so prominent in St Pete alleys.

Curious to find out more about the history of the quarries and their product, I snapped a few photos and decided to do a little 'brick research.'
WESTPORT PAVING BRICK CO., Baltimore, Md.
From WikiAnswers: Westport Paving & Brick was a Baltimore based manufacturer of bricks. The company was located in the Westport area of south Baltimore, an older industrial east coast city located in the state of Maryland.
The company was founded around 1905 by William L. Wise Sr. of Baltimore, Maryland.
At one time, Westport Paving & Brick was one of the larger manufcaturers of bricks in the DelMarVa area many of which were used in both the commercial as well as residential sectors.

So well regarded were these bricks, known as 'Baltimore Bricks' that many were exported to other municipalities for construction of government buildings, streets, alley ways and sidewalks. Often the bricks were used during shipping as the ballast itself. By the mid 1920s with more automobiles prevalent amongst the middle class, a more refined surface was needed to give drivers a smoother ride and the time of the brick street was at an end.

One place of note where the 'Baltimore Bricks' can be found in abundance is at the Ernest Hemingway house located in Key West, Florida. The bricks had initially been shipped via clipper ships to Key West in the 1910s. By the mid 1930s, the city council decided to upgrade their streets with the new easier to drive on concrete formulas so common at that time. Mr. Hemingway purchased the bricks from the city of Key West at the cost of one penny per brick. Hemingway purchased approximately 20,000 of these bricks which he used for the wall surrounding his property and also his walkways.

Westport Paving & Brick was still in business during World War II and appears to have disbanded around 1948.
COPELAND-INGLIS SHALE BRICK CO., Birmingham, AL
From the Society for Georgia Archeology: Copeland-Inglis shipped bricks across the Southeast. They were used in Chattanooga’s freight depot in the late 1800s. They also were used in Tampa, in the driveway of a 1891 building that was once a hotel, and is now a museum on the University of Tampa campus.

SOUTHERN CLAY MFG CO., Robbins, TN
From TN GenWeb Project: In 1902 The Tennessee Paving Brick Company sold its Robbins operation to the Southern Clay Manufacturing Company of Jersey City, New Jersey. This was the same year that the community of Robbins, Tennessee was granted a town charter. Southern Clay Manufacturing imported and applied mass production machinery and techniques to the clay products industry at Robbins. The Robbins plant then began to produce and sell SCM paving bricks, fire and chemical bricks, clay sewer pipe, various construction bricks, and square-2,6, and 9-sectioned telephone line conduit. The Robbins brickyard prospered until the late 1920s when macadam paved road construction replaced brick paving and when disastrous hurricanes in Florida ended a decade long building boom. This construction decline spelled hardship for the Robbins plant because much of its production was based on contracts with Florida developers. Shortly after this the Great Depression occurred and the Robbins plant suffered a slow decline in contracts as construction projects dwindled. Slowdowns and lay-offs occurred during this time including some years which saw the Robbins brick plant open for only a few months at a time. Attempts were made to save the Robbins plant by encouraging nearby communities to pave many of their local roads with SCM bricks, all to no avail. The last bricks produced at Robbins were made in 1937 and went to Alcoa, Tennessee.

GEORGIA VITRIFIED CLAY CO., Harlem, GA
From The Augusta Chronicle: Georgia Vitrified Brick and Clay Co. opened in 1902. The main part of the institution was at Campania, about two miles outside Harlem. One of the company's founding officers, Frank R. Clark, was instrumental in helping locate the first bank in Columbia County, at Harlem, in November 1905.

The company's kilns were used to produce sewer pipes, chimney liners, flues, tiles and other clay products. During its heyday, the enterprise rented small apartment homes in Belair to house many of its employees at Campania and its mines.

The company's legacies include bricks embossed with the "AUGUSTA BLOCK" trademark, manufactured and produced through the 1940s.

These bricks still can be found at some locations across the South. They are on some walkways near Riverwalk Augusta and Daniel Village, and some are embedded in highways throughout the vicinity. Old courthouse and cemetery yards in Georgia still yield the famed bricks that were processed at the ovens in Campania. Moreover, many also can be found in areas of Florida such as Tampa and St. Petersburg.

The company was sold in 1995 to an Indiana firm. Its facility at Campania has been used primarily as a distribution point.

MONARCH BRICK CO., Rockmart, GA
From The Georgia Department of Archives and History: The Monarch Brick Company was organized with the intention of producing slate and using the waste in brick manufacturing. By the time the plant was built in 1900, the demand for slate was declining rapidly, and the company never produced any slate. Monarch was soon reorganized, becoming the Rockmart Shale Brick and Slate Company. For about 20 years the plant manufactured a vitrified paving brick, using, in part, weathered slate or shale. The company closed its doors in the 1920s.

And this final informational tidbit, from the St Petersburg City Council:
Initially developed with a system of dirt roads, St. Petersburg started paving city streets with brick in 1903 when a bond issue was passed to pave Central Avenue from 2nd Street to 5th Street with brick. Between 1909 and 1913, $202,000 was allocated to improve city streets and expand brick paving into the surrounding residential neighborhoods and along Central Avenue to the western end of the city. By the end of the Florida land boom in 1926, St. Petersburg had over 300 miles of brick paved streets. With the development of new paving techniques during the late 1920s, brick paving declined in the city. In 1941, there were 339 miles of brick streets in the City. By 1960, this number dwindled to approximately 113 miles since many streets were
overlaid with asphalt. By 1992, approximately 93 miles of brick streets remained.

Final note: fabulous brick streets can be found in Roser Park, Park Street, and vitually all over the Old Northeast neighborhood as well as hundreds of alleyways - like the little one I stumbled upon - throughout Downtown.

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Nohlgren's

2011-12-15T09:26:00.000-08:00

Now the site of a law office.

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Sign of the times, part two

2011-12-10T12:20:00.000-08:00

Scribbled on a power transformer, these messages reflect current social climate.
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You don't sell me flowers anymore

2011-12-09T12:18:00.000-08:00

This former florist shop located in an old house has been closed for quite some time. Fifth Avenue N, downtown.

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Christmas with the Finest!

2011-12-08T11:58:00.000-08:00

Seen outside a fine jewelry shop on Beach Drive North.

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Ruby's

2011-12-04T08:10:00.000-08:00

Popular jazz watering hole located in Jannus Landing on 3rd Street, downtown.
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Paradise Found

2011-11-28T09:56:00.000-08:00

The view along Bayshore Drive facing north.

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Smile and the World Smiles With You

2011-11-26T09:55:00.000-08:00

Park View Building

2011-11-25T09:17:00.000-08:00

Floor entryway to the Park View Building on 4th Street North. The park it overlooks is Williams Park. This building has a fabulous old elevator, which we'll feature soon in a blog post.

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Dropping Off

2011-11-23T09:16:00.000-08:00

Old-style night depository outside a bank, downtown.

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Recumbent Nude on Beach Drive

2011-11-22T09:13:00.000-08:00

This lovely lady surveys passersby on Beach Drive outside the restaurant Ceviche.

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Fly on the wall

2011-09-10T09:24:00.000-07:00

Just another evening in Mastry's Bar - beer, sports, smoke and lowlights.

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Andy

2011-09-09T09:18:00.000-07:00

Warhol's visage as seen through the window of a Central Avenue art gallery.

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Moroccan miss

2011-09-08T09:15:00.000-07:00

Mannequin seen in the front window of a Moroccan goods shop on Central Avenue.

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Vikram

2011-08-31T09:11:00.000-07:00

Children's chalk art seen on a downtown sidewalk.

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Big buoys

2011-08-30T09:08:00.000-07:00

Buoys located outside USFSP and next to Bayboro Harbor.

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City Lights

2011-08-16T14:10:00.000-07:00

Skyline view facing north, on a summer night.

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Williams Park Vista

2011-07-26T15:41:00.000-07:00

Facing north-northeast on a summer morning, the Williams Park bandshell figures prominently in the foreground.
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The state of the State Theatre

2011-04-24T06:38:00.000-07:00

St. Petersburg's classic State Theatre looks to be in fine form on a busy Thursday evening.
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It's that time of year (again)

2011-03-21T11:44:00.000-07:00

Spring Training time is here in Florida - has been, now, for a few weeks. Here's a Pinellas County-based taxi dolled up in resplendent Phillies red and white.
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The Alcove

2011-03-19T11:43:00.000-07:00

Seen in Treasure Island.
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The fountain

2011-03-14T12:47:00.000-07:00

You've come a long way, Publix

2011-03-09T11:48:00.000-08:00

The Publix Super Market logo through the years.

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The lone mopper

2011-03-08T12:23:00.000-08:00

Most conscientious tat parlor in town

2011-03-07T12:22:00.000-08:00

Everyone loves...

2011-03-05T12:21:00.001-08:00

The changed face of Central Avenue

2011-03-01T07:30:00.000-08:00

Central Avenue. This main city thoroughfare bisects north and south St Petersburg. It begins at the water's edge of Tampa Bay, and ends, ceremoniously, at the entrance to the Treasure Island Causeway. Central Avenue is a chameleon, changing as it zips through several St Petersburg neighborhoods, beginning with Downtown, and winding up in Old Pasadena. Drive down its never changing straightness, and you'll see banks (plenty), churches (many, and of all denominations), fast food, antique shops, vets, family restaurants, tattoo parlors, lawyers, CPAs, doctors, a bus station, a police station, and gas stations (many).

Let's take a quick look, for now, at Central in the immediate Downtown area. It's easy to take for granted the buildings and parking lots that dot the street in the present day: but it is also interesting to discover what used to be in those same spots a few generations ago. It's not the same St. Petersburg, that much is certain - then, or now.

The tour begins at 333 Central. Triple-three will not be found on a map today; it is merely the Municipal Parking Garage; its ugly white stone edifice rising six stories above solid ground. In 1940, however, 333 Central was home to Dent and English Tailors, no doubt proffering handsome and now quite-coveted men's suits. There is an entry in the 1912 St. Petersburg City Directory for Dent & English, listed as "gents furnishings" (sic).

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Moving up a few doors, and on the same side of the street, was Shepard Co. at 353 Central. Also in its place is the same parking garage. Shepard touted themselves (in a 1925 edition of the Times) "Florida's Finest Shoe Store." They offered "ladies' fine domestic and imported bedroom slippers of felt satin...in shades to match your negligee" ! In Shepard's stead in the years to come, were the Johnson-Dehon shoe store (1930s), the Maas Shoe Store (a temporary spot to sell shoes whilst the famous department store underwent construction a few blocks away in 1947), and, eventually in the name of "progress," it was razed to make way for the parking garage (sometime in the early 1970s). With the advent of suburban shopping, folks were less interested in buying shoes at some old-timey independent shop than at the new air-conditioned stores in sprawling places like Tyrone Mall.

Crossing over Fourth Street and continuing on the same street side, is 415 Central. It's been that address at many points in time since at least 1909, when a Dr. Rouse, Physician and Surgeon, conducted his practice there. (Had you needed to telephone him in 1909 about a sick stomach, his exchange was simply '67.') Looking up, most folks nowadays might recognize 415 as the former home of a vintage dime store. The fabulously forties McCrory sign still hangs aloft the address, as tribute to the golden days of green-bench glory when snowbirds and residents rubbed shoulders in the aisles looking for swim suits, camera film, Kleenex and pencils. Four fifteen was, too, a Walgreen (minus the S) at one point in time. Now, it harbors several hip gifts shops and restaurants, whose patrons, mostly a youngish clientele, shop and dine blissfully unaware of the parcel's fabulous past as a storied, classic five and dime.

Strolling westward on Central by a few blocks, we come to a large parking lot on the south side of the street that was the former home of 720, a Western Union office during the 1920s, and later on in the Thirties, the St. Petersburg Gas Appliance Company. The Western Union, when there in 1927, told the Timesthat it was adding more telegraph lines in St Petersburg due to higher demand for sending telegrams. (Doesn't that sound quaint now? Telegrams!) Just a few doors down, and in the same now-parking lot, was 730, home to Lovett's Groceteria (and that makes me chuckle, thinking about Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd.) At the height of the Depression, in 1933, weekend specials at Lovett's included two heads of lettuce for 15c; Del Monte coffee, 23c per pound; and cabbage, 3c per pound. Lovett's opened on Central in 1932, and was considered a "novel store," meaning the gimmick was something inherently familiar to us all now: self-service. An interesting fact is that Lovett's was franchised out by Winn and Lovett, better known in the south as Jacksonville-based Winn-Dixie. The store on Central, however, was seen as simply a locally operated extension of the W&L family. I'm unable to find any information as to when the Central Avenue Lovett's was closed down or razed, but apparently there were a few more franchises in St. Pete, including one at 551 Ninth Street N.

Crossing 8th Street but staying on the same side, we come to a quite-unattractive boxy Seventies building, which sits on land previously occupied by 842 Central - which had had a busy life as several businesses from the 1920s through the 1970s when the original building(s) were razed. Among some of the businesses at 842 were Madam Wilma, who offered "character readings;" Campbell Hardware; Harvey's Fix-It; Arthur L .Johns, Menswear; Joe Solomon, Menswear; and Frank Decker, antique dealer. The sporadic nature of the businesses leads me to believe there must have been an arcade at that address, housing all these diverse businesses who lapsed over one another from the Twenties through the Sixties. Under one roof, such as an arcade, these small, locally-owned businesses would have been able to flourish in synch, much like a modern day shopping mall.

Our final stop takes us to 1000 Central, to what is probably the happiest success story of all the addresses we've discussed. You will see an attractive, classic brick and mortar building housing Savannah's Cafe, a fairly recent newcomer to the downtown scene and purveyors of classic yet upscale Southern cuisine. Savannah's is housed in a former Studebaker auto dealership building, and most of the original architectural features have been preserved. Technically, the current address is 1113 Central, but as a former car lot, the property must have encompassed a block or even two. Fortunately, this classic 1920s building stands unhindered by the wrecking ball, and almost as originally intended, being used and enjoyed by St. Pete people almost 100 years later.
(Photo courtesy http://www.studebaker-info.org/)

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Snack time

2011-02-28T18:34:00.000-08:00

The classic Snack Bar on Treasure Island, which, technically, is really an apportioned spit of sand belonging to the city of St. Petersburg. Get your soda pop, ice creams, and burgers here!
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Have a seat

2011-02-27T18:22:00.000-08:00

This is one of a few remaining classic vintage concrete-and-mosaic benches left in Treasure Island. I remember what it was like to sit on them as a kid wearing a swimsuit: a little scratchy, a little warm (from the sun), and quite uncomfortable.
This one is located at the shuffleboard court behind the Tropic Terrace Motel.
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Thunder under water

2011-02-26T18:19:00.000-08:00

The bold thunderbird graphic lies at the bottom of the pool at the storied Thunderbird Beach Resort on Gulf Blvd.
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Perfect name for this motel

2011-02-25T18:11:00.000-08:00

Located directly on the Gulf, this vintage motel certainly sees its shares of sunsets.
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Classic Florida

2011-02-24T18:08:00.000-08:00

One of the few remaining classic (read: 'space age') motels on Treasure Island, The Sands' sign lights up each evening at dusk like clockwork, and it is a beautiful thing to behold. Simply classic Floridiana.
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Ready for my closeup

2011-02-23T18:06:00.000-08:00

A mermaid ponders the traffic on busy Gulf Blvd. on Treasure Island.
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Treasure Island

2011-02-22T18:01:00.000-08:00

We spent last Christmas month living out at the beach, specifically Treasure Island. This week, we'll feature some random shots we took at this kitschy but very pleasant and enjoyable sland resort town.

The Birdsong Motel on Gulf Blvd.
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Save the turtles

2011-02-21T17:56:00.000-08:00

A sea turtle comes to life under an artist's hand at a recent sidewalk art show in downtown St Pete.
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Tower up!

2010-12-09T18:24:00.000-08:00

Radio tower off the Gandy Bridge.

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Vanity Fair

2010-11-08T07:46:00.001-08:00

Vintage-style vanity plates seen at the Saturday Morning Market in St. Petersburg.
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Downtown View

2010-10-19T13:56:00.000-07:00

View of downtown, facing southwest. Visible are the Detroit Hotel, Jannus Landing, and the Hotel Dennis, among others.
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Autumn Sunset

2010-10-18T13:54:00.000-07:00

Facing west toward mid- St. Pete Beach.
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Moon over St Pete

2010-10-15T10:07:00.000-07:00

October, 2010.
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Cafe Bohemia

2010-09-18T06:58:00.000-07:00

Two scenes from Cafe Bohemia, inside and out. The cafe is an arts & music-centered gathering spot on Central Avenue near downtown that also serves food, beer & wine.
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Old and the new, part 2

2010-09-17T06:48:00.000-07:00

Here we see the 1920s Open Air Post Office building to the left, The McCarthy Motel in the middle, the Snell Arcade to the immediate right, and in the background towers the new Progress Energy building, which was built on the former site of the old Maas Brothers department store.
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St. Pete Architecture: English Cottage Style

2010-09-16T13:25:00.000-07:00

An outgrowth of the Queen Anne style favored for its storybook charm and design versatility, the Tudor Revival style was popular in many areas of the US from 1915 to about 1940. Its impact may have been as modest as a single steep dormer on a small house to a grand medieval manor. This style and its cousin—the English Cottage—continues to be extremely popular and still influences contemporary American architecture.
The Tudor Revival is found in homes both small and palatial. The cottage-style variant is generally smaller and more common. It is frequently found in house pattern books of the 1920s and 30s.

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St. Pete Architecture: Spanish Revival

2010-09-15T13:21:00.000-07:00

The romantic Spanish Revival style—or alternately Spanish Eclectic— refers to the architectural style that was built from about 1915 to about 1940. Like Mission Revival, Spanish Revival was influenced by Spanish Colonial architecture of earlier centuries. Unlike its immediate predecessor, Mission, Spanish Revival was more ornate with stylistic detail apparent in both large features and small, such as intricately patterned tilework and wrought iron hardware.
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St Pete Architecture: Spanish Mission Style

2010-09-14T13:19:00.000-07:00

Mission architecture romanticized the simple Spanish churches of colonial America. Mission houses typically have red tile roofs, parapets, decorative railings, and carved stonework. But the twentieth century Spanish inspired styles proved to be more far reaching. Wild and expressive, this new fashion borrowed from the entire history of Spanish architecture, from Moorish to Byzantine to Renaissance.

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Inside the Snell Arcade

2010-09-13T13:04:00.000-07:00

Information on the Snell Arcade can be found here.
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The old and the new

2010-09-12T13:03:00.000-07:00

Snell Arcade building reflected in the glass of a modern office building.
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View from Boyd Hill

2010-09-11T13:01:00.000-07:00

Looking east across Lake Maggiore.
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John's Pass Bridge (the early version)

2010-09-10T07:38:00.000-07:00

Famous Green Benches

2010-09-09T11:19:00.000-07:00

St. Petersburg's famed green benches have been the subject of many stories and poems. Visitors meet and greet their friends, read the newspapers, write letters, and make acquaintances on St. Petersburg's green benches.
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Vintage view of Blind Pass

2010-09-08T07:35:00.000-07:00

Air view looking northward over Treasure Island and St. Petersburg Beach, Florida. The channel, leading from the Gulf of Mexico (left) into Blind Pass, is clearly visible. Blind Pass Bridge, connecting Treasure Island and St. Petersburg Beach, at top center of picture.
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Vintage View of Treasure Island

2010-09-07T07:49:00.000-07:00

Written on back of card, dated February 2, 1962:
Dear Laura -
Greetings from Florida. We have had the most beautiful weather this year so far that we even remember. We are sorry Elsie couldn't fly down for the week of her Spring vacation. You had such a nice (illegible) through January. We were in hopes snow was going to keep away from you this year. Lots of (illegible) people around us. Best wishes to you from Fred & Stella
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The Alden Hotel

2010-09-06T11:56:00.000-07:00

The Alden Hotel was built sometime in the early 1930s. Once one of St. Pete's smaller downtown hotels, its lower levels now house several boutiques and restaurants. Its faded sign still exists to reflect its memory.

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S Marks the Spot

2010-09-05T11:54:00.001-07:00

Red "S" in the famous vintage McCrory's sign, Central Avenue.

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The Sea Jay Motel

2010-09-04T07:43:00.000-07:00

"350 Feet from the Gulf of Mexico, facing quiet Boca Ciega Bay"
Modern one and two bedroom apartments, also efficiencies and motel rooms - free TV - air-conditioned - electric heat - all electric kitchens - shuffleboards - HEATED pool - boat and fishing dock - convenient to shopping and fine restaurants - daily maid service.
11240 First Street East
Treasure Island 6, Florida. Phone 363-9931
Your Hosts: Marvin & Marion Graves

Written on back of card, which is postmarked March, 1966
"Greetings! Everything fine at this end and I hope all are getting along well there. Haven't had any news of Louise, but hope she is doing ok. See Ohio is getting some spring. Fondly, Elma"
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Treasure Island Court

2010-09-03T11:31:00.000-07:00

TREASURE ISLAND COURT
10315 Gulf Blvd - Treasure Island
St Petersburg, Florida
State Route 699
Fishing - Swimming - Boating - Shuffleboards - Horse Shoe Courts - Children's Slides, etc.
Hotel Rooms
Courtesy Continental Breakfast
J.F. UTLEY, Mgr. - PHONE: 2-3374

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Downtown Vista, Thirties Style

2010-09-02T11:27:00.000-07:00

This is one of the busiest business streets of St. Petersburg, combining the advantages of a modern city with the sunshine and pure air of the country and seashore.
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Sea Castle

2010-09-01T11:22:00.000-07:00

Sea Castle of Treasure Island
ON THE GULF OF MEXICO
New Luxury Apartment Motel - Air-Conditioned - T.V. and phone in every Apartment - Finest Facilities for Complete Enjoyment of Carefree Resort Living - Phone 22-1411.
10750 GULF BLVD. - TREASURE ISLAND
ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA

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We're big fans

2010-08-31T11:52:00.000-07:00

The large vintage ceiling fans in the Snell Arcade.

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The Buccaneer

2010-08-30T11:13:00.000-07:00

BUCCANEER MOTEL & RESTAURANT
10800 Gulf Blvd, Treasure Island, St Petersburg, Fla
Directly on the Gulf of Mexico - Straight out Central Avenue (St. Petersburg's main st.) across Treasure Island Causeway, is THE BUCCANEER.
200 ft. of beautiful white sand beach at your door, 50 attractive units, including 10 waterfront apartments.
Telephone and T.V. in each room. 100% air-conditioned.
Our restaurant serves excellent food. Moderate prices.
Automatic electric heat. Off-street parking - Shuffleboard - Excellent swimming and fishing - Grand group of guests each year.
"The Motel That's Busy All Year 'Round"
Lu & Stu Butterfield, Owners-Managers Phone 21-1741

Copyright 1955.
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Bob Prines Skyline Room

2010-08-29T11:11:00.000-07:00

BOB PRINES SKYLINE ROOM
Dine With A View Overlooking The Tri-City Area
Open Daily From 11:30 AM to 2:00 AM
Saturday 5:00 PM to 2:00 AM
Sunday 12:00 Noon to 2:00 AM
DINNERS START AT $2.50
MENU'S (sic) FOR CHILDREN
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The Chinese Room

2010-08-28T10:48:00.000-07:00

CHINESE ROOM
from glass enclosed Laini (sic) overlooking Tropical Gardens
The Huntington - A Resort Hotel of Merit
Phone 7-7827
Color Folder on Request
Copyright 1958

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The Sun Room, Huntington Hotel

2010-08-27T10:44:00.000-07:00

SUN ROOM
from glass enclosed Laini (sic) overlooking Tropical Gardens
The Huntington - A Resort Hotel of Merit
Phone 7-7827

Postmarked August 23, 1971 from Largo!
Typewritten note:
Dear Rae: Lucille didn't get the dishwashers Sun. sorry to inconvenience you at this time, but she can get them at a later date. O.K.?
This is the place mu cousin Joe stayed in when he was here in May. Its been very hot last few days, and we've been to Beach three times in last week. Cloudy today. May rain. Love, Pauline
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The Huntington Hotel

2010-08-26T10:37:00.000-07:00

Postcard reads: Within a stones throw of all outdoor sports
World's Best Fishing
Five Nationally Known Golf Courses
Moderate Rates
J. Lee Barnes, President

Postally marked Feb 27. 1937.
"You would love it here. Weather balmy and lovely. This is my hotel."
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Up, up and away!

2010-07-26T10:51:00.000-07:00

Nineteen-sixties aerial view of downtown St Petersburg, facing Tampa Bay. Do you recognize any of the buildings?

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Stardust!

2010-07-23T09:46:00.001-07:00

STARDUST MANOR MOTEL
3100 Fourth St. North
St Petersburg 4, Florida
New, modern, Attractively Furnished Hotel Rooms. Accommodating 2 to 5 guests. Private Tile Baths, Central Heat. Air conditioned and Air Cooled for Summer Comfort. Close to Center of Town, Million Dollar Pier, Tampa Bay Fishing, Bathing and Golfing. Open all Year. Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Keller, Owners-Mgrs.

This card is postmarked January 11, 1961.
"Hi, doing fine and having a fine time. Wish you was here. Mom"

And here is what's in its place now:

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According to Times archives this motel was built in 1950 by newlyweds from Youngstown, Ohio, Mr & Mrs Michael Antalik.

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Summertime blues

2010-07-11T16:55:00.000-07:00

I love how colors meld together at the conclusion of a Florida summer sunset. This is St Pete Beach facing toward the Don CeSar Hotel.

Three views of the Million Dollar Pier

2010-07-07T14:15:00.000-07:00

The original Million Dollar Pier, St Petersburg, sometime in the 1940s-1950s. Replaced in the 1970s by a hideous monstrosity. Read its history here. As ugly as the new one is, it does afford a very nice view of the city skyline from the rooftop deck. The heralded St Pete branch of the Columbia Restaurant is looking forlorn lately; and the downstairs, first floor shops open and go out of business in the blink of an eye.

Yacht are you looking at?

2010-07-06T14:13:00.000-07:00

St Petersburg Yacht Club, sometime in the 1950s.

Maas appeal

2010-07-05T13:39:00.000-07:00

Of the many things I rue about long-gone St Petersburg, the Maas Brothers department store is one in particular that sticks in my craw. My dad and uncle worked at the store in the 1950s as young, college-age window dressers; I shopped there in high school if for nothing else than the awesome bargain basement sales; and later worked there briefly as a temp, then part-time salesperson, then assistant to the Store Manager. I even bought my first Eighties "word processor" from their electronics department!

It was a comfortable, if not exactly beautiful, store on the inside; high-ceilinged, with long, tall escalators, a classic candy and nut counter, and wide, open retail spaces. At Christmastime, it sparkled and was a sight to behold. Maas smelled of new fabric, leather, perfume, roasting nuts, mechanical oil, and the occasional, intermingling smells emanating from the upstairs restaurant. Two stories high, and not completely comprising a city block, Maas was a special world in and of itself in one of the country's foremost tourist towns.

Here is a flickr photo gallery showcasing most of the Bay Area's Maas stores; and you can read the history of the chain here.

And, to indulge your sweet tooth, here is an original recipe for Maas Brother's Cinnamon Twists.

When Maas went out of business the building in downtown St Pete served as the Florida International Museum for a time. It was razed in 2005 and at the site now, stands a disappointing, unremarkable building housing Progress Energy.
Needless to say, I miss it. They don't make department stores like this anymore.

Hotel, motel, Holiday Inn

2010-07-04T13:34:00.000-07:00

Vintage Postcard depicting 4 classic St Pete hotels: The Vinoy, Soreno, Princess Martha and Don CeSar, which, technically, is in St. Pete Beach.

Three remain; in 1992 the Soreno was demolished for the motion picture Lethal Weapon 3 starring Mel Gibson; it is the building seen exploding after the closing credits – perhaps a degrading end to a structure that contributed so much to the growth of St. Petersburg.

Path to Paradise

2010-06-02T05:52:00.000-07:00

Pass-a-Grille Beach.

A second life

2010-06-01T05:49:00.000-07:00

This art moderne Walgreens building on Martin Luther King St N was formerly a Publix SuperMarket, back in its heyday. Note the glass block is still nicely intact.

St Anthony's Hospital

2010-05-31T05:48:00.000-07:00

Downtown St Pete.

The thrill is gone

2010-05-30T05:46:00.000-07:00

...of stinging whomever comes in my path. I am an Ex-Stingray.
Seen at Maximo Park Beach.

Manatee vanity

2010-05-29T05:44:00.000-07:00

These creatures are all around us! Mind your boat motors. St Pete Beach near the Don CeSar.

May the beach be with you

2010-05-28T05:43:00.000-07:00

St Pete Beach, near Pass-A-Grille, May 2010.

Even cows love the Rays!

2010-05-20T06:15:00.000-07:00

Best team in baseball (right now!)

Vanalicious

2010-05-19T08:36:00.000-07:00

Seen in Pass-a-Grille Beach.

Plenty of space to park a broom

2010-05-18T08:35:00.000-07:00

Seen in Pass-a-Grille Beach.

Fresh off the vine...

2010-05-17T08:33:00.000-07:00

The wide world of wine! Gulfport.

Shoes Fifth Avenue

2010-05-16T08:32:00.000-07:00

Fifth Avenue N, St Pete.

Not Blade Runner, but...

2010-05-15T08:31:00.000-07:00

The Seafood Runner!

What a softie

2010-05-14T08:29:00.000-07:00

Florida soft-shelled turtle, found in Sawgrass Lake.

Pastoral scene

2010-05-13T08:27:00.000-07:00

Sawgrass Lake Park, north St Pete.

Even rattan furniture loves the Rays

2010-05-12T08:26:00.000-07:00

Seen on Central Avenue.

But birds are allowed

2010-05-11T08:25:00.000-07:00

Seen at Maximo Park.

Maximo Harbor

2010-05-10T08:23:00.000-07:00

Facing south-southwest from Maximo Park.

Yes, we have crabs

2010-05-09T08:21:00.000-07:00

Crab shack seen at Central Avenue, Grand Central District.

Cookies, anyone?

2010-05-08T08:20:00.000-07:00

The Cook-E-Man, on 22nd Avenue S.

April sunset

2010-05-07T08:17:00.000-07:00

Seen at St. Pete Beach.

Greetings! From Sunny and Happy Florida

2010-04-22T05:48:00.000-07:00

This postcard, dated 1960 on the back, shows lots of typical Florida icons. How many can you recognize?

Another view of Al Lang Stadium

2010-04-20T05:46:00.000-07:00

This, from a 1960s postcard, shows the stadium from the viewpoint of the north parking lot.

Dear Gomez and Morticia....

2010-04-18T12:11:00.000-07:00

Wood-handle advertising fan from Gulfport Memorial Funeral Home.

Shufflin' off, again

2010-04-16T12:03:00.001-07:00

Another look at the Mirror Lake Shuffleboard Courts, circa the early 1960s. This particular set of courts is on the north side of the complex, closest to Fifth Avenue and the Coliseum.

Ok: last sunset for now

2010-04-08T08:28:00.000-07:00

Downtown St Pete, facing southwest. Yummy.

More sunset porn

2010-04-07T08:26:00.000-07:00

This view faces Clam Bayou and Gulfport. Ooh, aaah!

This is why we have tourists

2010-04-06T08:25:00.000-07:00

Gorgeous Florida sunset facing toward the Bayway and southern St Pete Beach. Tourists love it. Locals see it all the time!

Beach livin', Sixties style

2010-04-05T08:22:00.000-07:00

This was my parent's pad in Belle Vista neighborhood in (then) St Petersburg Beach. This was before I was hatched, so I'm putting it at roughly 1965 or so. Note the pebble driveway, which was (and still is) quite popular with beach houses built at the time.

Pontiac Apartments

2010-04-04T08:20:00.000-07:00

Located in Gulfport.