St. Petersburg, FL — After a year-long joint effort by Preserve The ‘Burg, Exact Architects LLC, the city of St. Petersburg, the Campbell Park neighborhood, and Waverly Capital, LLC, the historic Shell Dash Cottage will finally be relocated. On February 18, 2021 City Council unanimously approved the relocation in conjunction with an upcoming affordable housing project led by Exact Architects LLC.
The Shell Dash Cottage, built in 1909 or 1910, was donated to Preserve The ‘Burg by former City Council representative, Jim Kennedy, and currently resides on land owned by Waverly Capital, LLC. It has been the organization’s goal to protect the cottage and find a suitable location in which it can be preserved and showcased. The cottage is one of the only known surviving examples in St. Petersburg that used a unique exterior finish called shell dash stucco as a building material—a technique that was quite popular for a short time before virtually disappearing in the city.
In 2019, Preserve The ‘Burg received $75,000 in grant funding from the 1772 Foundation to start a historic preservation revolving fund, now called the Historic Properties Program. The city of St. Petersburg matched the historic grant in full, which allowed Preserve The ‘Burg the opportunity to spearhead the project and save the Shell Dash Cottage from demolition.
At its new location, the Shell Dash Cottage will serve as the centerpiece for a $2.5 million-dollar affordable housing project, featuring ten homes. Developers Bob Meyer and Caleb Buland of Exact Architects LLC, have experience working with historic buildings and are eager to move the project forward. The collaboration between Preserve The ‘Burg, Exact Architects LLC, the city of St. Petersburg, the Campbell Park Neighborhood and Waverly Capital, LLC is what made this project possible.
Preserve The ‘Burg is thrilled the Shell Dash Cottage has found its new home where its rich local history can be shared and preserved for years to come, and extremely grateful for the overwhelming support from City Council. If you’d like to stay updated about the Shell Dash Cottage or get involved with Preserve The ‘Burg please visit https://preservetheburg.org/ for more information.
The most current updates on Preserve The ‘Burg are available on the following social media channels:
