Williams Park Bandstand

Williams Park Bandstand. Built: 1894 - Replica: 1981. , A Wild City Park , During the late 1880s, St. Petersburg was a sleepy pine scrub village driving to be cosmopolitan. Northerners relocation to this community, both permanent and seasonal residents, helped transform the aspiring town by bringing culture and new ideas. During the early 1890s, the place known as City Park was unappealing with its tall grass, mud puddles and roaming livestock and wild animals. In 1893 a group of women took charge and formed the Park Improvement Association. One of their first projects was the installation of a fence around City Park. , Setting the Stage , The ambitious women of the Park Improvement Association sold ice cream, lemonade, candy and other treats to raise funds to fence City Park. The new fence, built in 1894, kept out hogs, cows and chickens that still roamed the area. Next, the women raised funds for a bandstand at the north end of the park. Since St. Petersburg had no other performance areas, the new bandstand became center stage for concerts and community gatherings. , Public Affairs , Crowds perched on green benches surrounding the bandstand to hear politicians make promises and bands play lively music of the day. Attendance soared at concerts and performances during the winter tourist season with bands such as Roy Smith's Royal Scotch Highlanders. During World War I, community mass meetings rallied crowds to patriotic fervor. , A Pinellas Portrait , John Constantine Williams (1817-1892) John and Sarah Williams came to the Pinellas Peninsula in 1875. These early settlers gave land for City Park from their homestead. Sarah, working with her husband, negotiated with Peter Demens to bring the Orange Belt Railway to St. Petersburg in 1888. Sarah was an active member of many civic organizations. Naming the park and bandstand for them honored their significant contributions to the growth of this city. , Bandstand Countdown , Williams Park has had a bandstand in the same location for more than a century. , c. 1894 Williams bandstand built , 1910s Elevated bandstand, enlarged stage and added restrooms in amusement areas. , 1920 Bandstand moved to Waterfront Park, destroyed in October 1921 hurricane. , 1920 New bandstand with a concrete 'half moon' shell built. , 1953 New 'modern' band shell with painted roof and expanded platform built.>br> 1981 Replica of 1894 bandstand built at Heritage Village. , Who's in Charge , The Woman's Town Improvement Association (WTIA), established in 1901, evolved from the Park Improvement Association. They operated the park in an area when laws and customs denied women the right to vote or to hold public office. The city of St. Petersburg took over care and upkeep of Williams Park in 1910. , Tidbits From Time , Impressive Benches , Students at the city's Manual Training School built at least 200 benches during the summer of 1920 for use in Williams Park. At one point crafty kids set a school record by assembling a bench in 8 minutes and 35 seconds. , A Twist of Nature , Today with everything built up around us, we go to parks to enjoy nature and see wildlife. To create Williams Park, they had to keep wildlife out of an area to designate an open space for people. What animals do you see in today's parks?