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Curious to learn more about preservation or ways to get involved in your community, but don’t know where to start? We’re here to help. In our blog, our preservation experts break down current advocacy issues, ways to get involved, and local St. Pete happenings.
St. Petersburg, a city surrounded by water and known for its resort lifestyle, had no pools where African Americans could swim until 1954. That changed when Jennie Hall, an 85 year old white woman from Montana, stepped forward to help the African American community build a pool. With a rather startling and unannounced moment in front of St. Petersburg’s city council in June 1953, Jennie Hall proclaimed she would be donating $25,000 for a swimming pool to serve the African American community. To prove her seriousness, she wrote a check for $10,000 on the spot and promised an additional $15,000. The City Council, somewhat cowed and taken aback, agreed to match the gift with $35,000 of city funds.
The effort to create a Local Historic District around Mirror Lake encountered a slight delay last month when the Community Planning and Preservation Commission (CPPC) failed to reach a quorum and was unable to vote on the application.
St. Petersburg’s Development Review Commission (DRC) approved an application at their September meeting to develop several parcels along Mirror Lake drive, including the historic Cade Allen home at 250 Mirror Lake.
It’s easy to get caught up in a binary “us vs. them” debate about saving St. Petersburg’s historic buildings. According to the results of Keeping the Vibe Alive: The Impact of Historic Preservation in St. Petersburg, there’s more consensus than you might think.
