Safety Harbor Historical Site: St. James Hotel

Safety Harbor Historical Site: St. James Hotel. . Originally the St. James Hotel, this building was constructed by business partners W.E. Sinclair and Virginia Tucker during the Florida land boom of the 1920s and named for Virginia's late husband, James Felix Tucker, a former Captain of the Confederacy during the Civil War. Together, the Tuckers had built the Safety Harbor Sanatorium, converting the Espiritu Santo Springs into a viable business. The St. James Hotel opened on March 6, 1925, and was intended to house guests visiting the springs. There was a phone in every room, hot and cold running water, private baths, and electric lights, which were uncommon amenities in a small city. Its original elevator was believed to be the first in Pinellas County., By the mid-1930s, the Great Depression had begun, and the economy built around the mineral springs suffered. The 58-room St. James Hotel closed and was stripped of all its fixtures and furnishings. After World War II, it was refurbished by Dr. Salem Baranoff, the new owner of the Safety Harbor Spa, and was named the De Soto Hotel. Under new ownership, the building was renamed Harborhouse at the end of the 20th Century and was used primarily for offices and shops.