Other Historic Hotels & Neighborhoods

St. Petersburg has over one hundred neighborhood associations and they play an important part in the cultural and civic life of the region. The City of St Petersburg web page has information, including a short history, of each of the various neighborhoods.

Roser Park is one of the most unusual and interesting historic neighborhoods in St. Petersburg.  The Roser Park Neighborhood Association has created a virtual tour:
Roser Park.net

There is also a photo gallery of pictures of the neighborhood by John F. Jewell at RoserPark.com

The Old Southeast Neighborhood

The Old Southeast neighborhood is justifiably proud of its rich ethnic and cultural heritage. It is one of the city’s most charming, diverse and interesting places to live. The focal point and eastern boundary of the neighborhood is Lassing Park, 12.5 acres fronting Tampa Bay from 16th to 22nd Avenues Southeast. Few city parks offer such spectacular water scenery coupled with a tranquil residential setting. Its landscaping has recently been upgraded with many palms and native plants. It is a delightful place to visit for any who seek the delights of fishing, or the space for games, or just walking and contemplating while seabirds and sailboats grace the waters of Old Tampa Bay.

The Old Southeast neighborhood had its beginnings in mid-1850 when C.A. Harvey and A.F. Freeman's Bayboro Investment Co. bought the land east of 4th Street between 7th and 19th Avenues South around Booker and Salt Creeks, as well as Bayboro Harbor. Mr. Henry built a home (now Bayboro Bed & Breakfast) and resided there while the company continued to develop the area. Another early resident, Judge Robert B. Lassing, donated waterfront land to the City in 1924, with the proviso that it and any structures built on it were to be used only for park purposes. The City acquired additional land in 1926, 1944, and 1945 for the park. On January 8, 1942, Lassing Park was dedicated and has continued to provide beauty and enjoyment to the neighborhood residents and visitors.

This walking tour of the Old Southeast has been designed to provide a look at some of the many types of architecture in the neighborhood while keeping Lassing Park in close proximity throughout.  If you are unable to walk the tour, please climb aboard our Historic Tour Streetcar!  And when you are finished touring the Old Southeast, use your browser's "back" button to return to this page to visit the Don Cesar and Stetson University Law School (the old Rolyat Hotel.)

Start the tour!

The Don Cesar and the Rolyat

The tours of these two historic hotels will take you to South Pasadena via Gulfport Boulevard and to St. Pete Beach via Gulf Boulevard.  Both were the jewels of the hotel  boom era of the 1920’s. 

The entire trip will take two to three hours, especially if you enjoy walking along the beach.

The Rolyat Hotel has been  the home of Stetson University Law School since 1954. “Handsome Jack” Taylor (spell Taylor backwards!) was a mysterious Gatsby-like figure, who with his stunning wife (Evelyn DuPont) cut an elegant and high rolling-swath through St. Petersburg society in the early 1920’s. Taylor oversaw the creation of an upscale division known as Pasadena-on-the-Gulf, with parks, boulevards, a championship golf course and  this beautiful tile-roofed hotel designed by Richard Kiehnel of Miami. The hotel opened on January 1, 1926 with a lavish party attended by Babe Ruth and scores of celebrities. Everything was done with 20’s excess, while Jack and Evelyn motored around  town in their matching Daimler touring cars. When the stock market crash came in the fall of 1926, they quietly slipped out of town, owing many creditors.

You are welcome to enter and walk around the campus.  Be sure to take a look at the new library which was designed to compliment the existing structure.   And if you can't make it in person, Stetson University Law School has created a great virtual tour of the campus as well as the virtual tour of the new library.

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The Don CeSar Hotel  opened its doors on January 16, 1928, on the crest of the Great Depression. The 300-room resort took three years to build at a cost of $1,500,000. Its “floating foundation” is unique.  The Don Cesar towers over St. Pete Beach.  The builder, Thomas Rowe,  named it after the hero of his favorite American opera, “Maritana.” (written by William Vincent Wallace )  During World War Two it served as a convalescent hospital for military veterans.

Walk around the perimeter of the  hotel and you will understand why the original architect was fired because he forgot to include a grand entrance in his design!

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