Safety Harbor in Pinellas County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)

Safety Harbor Historical Site: St. James Hotel

Photographed by Tim Fillmon, June 15, 2019

1. Safety Harbor Historical Site: St. James Hotel Marker

Inscription. 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.

Erected by Community Redevelopment Agency and the Safety Harbor Museum of Regional History.

Topics. This historical marker

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is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical date for this entry is May 6, 1925.

Location. 27° 59.454′ N, 82° 41.321′ W. Marker is in Safety Harbor, Florida, in Pinellas County. It is on Main Street (Florida Route 590) just east of 2nd Avenue South, on the left when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 101 Main Street, Safety Harbor FL 34695, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on Florida’s Gulf Coast

and on Tampa Bay.

It is also in the American South

and on the Gulf Coast.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: “The Baranoff Oak” (within shouting distance of this marker); Safety Harbor Historical Site: Baranoff Oak Tree (within shouting distance of this marker); Safety Harbor Historical Site: First Town Hall (within shouting distance of this marker); Espiritu Santo Springs (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Safety Harbor Historical Site: 136 4th Ave. N. Safety Harbor: "The 1908 Gingerbread House" (approx. 0.2 miles away); Safety Harbor Historical Site: 135 4th Avenue North (approx. 0.2 miles away); Safety Harbor Historical Site: Native American Burial Mound (approx. 0.2 miles away); Safety Harbor Historical Site: Tucker Mansion (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Safety Harbor.

Photographed by Tim Fillmon, June 15, 2019

2. Safety Harbor Historical Site: St. James Hotel Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on November 30, 2023. It was originally submitted on June 4, 2021, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. This page has been viewed 1,144 times since then and 26 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 4, 2021, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida.