Melrose-Mercy in St. Petersburg in Pinellas County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)

Early Housing

Faith, Family, and Education • 9th Avenue South Corridor

— St. Petersburg African-American Heritage Trail —

Early Housing Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Brandon D Cross

1. Early Housing Marker

Inscription. Although the first plats in the neighborhood were filed in the early 1900s, settlement was sporadic until the mid-1920s. Early housing in this area was decidedly vernacular, meaning folk building without the benefit of formal plans. While most housing consisted of one-story, wood-frame buildings with little to no added features, house types varied. These houses were typically found in rural areas, as this area once was. Many of the types shown here, such as the shotgun and the single and double pen, are types that derived from the west coast of Africa. They utilized a form that fostered togetherness, cultural traditions, and community values that laid the foundation upon which this new architecture was designed. The front porch is also a distinctly African-derived architectural feature, not being found in Western European architecture prior to this time. The front porch provided a cool space to gather on a hot evening and was quickly adapted and reused in the United States. These principles and design techniques were then assembled using European Colonial framing techniques. The photos you see here were taken from a "Sub-standard Housing Survey" conducted in late 1938. The houses were then rechecked for improvements in 1940 and 1941. Most of these house forms no longer exist in the city. After World War I, many servicemen, including African Americans, returned to St. Petersburg and built new homes using the GI bill. These new Minimal Traditional and Ranch style homes filled vacant lots in the 22nd Street S. neighborhood, many of which remain today.

Housing Courts
Much like the Shotgun form, the idea of housing courts can also be traced back to Africa and the cultural ideal of togetherness. The construction of housing courts in St. Petersburg is evident on historic maps as early as 1913, but likely dates

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back to the 1890s. These were located at 504,506, 508, 512 17th Street S.

(caption) These buildings are located in the 700 block of Queen Street S. Photo documentation shows the houses in existence as early as 1926. Photos courtesy of the Dr. Carter G. Woodson African American Museum
Single Pen • Temple Front Cottage • Shotguns • Hall-Parlor • Central Hall • Two-Story

Erected by National Park Service, Florida Department of State, the City of St. Petersburg and the Dr. Carter G. Woodson African American History Museum.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Architecture • Civil Rights. A significant historical year for this entry is 1920.

Location. 27° 45.664′ N, 82° 39.45′ W. Marker is in St. Petersburg, Florida, in Pinellas County. It is in Melrose-Mercy. It is at the intersection of 9th Avenue South and Queen Street S, on the left when traveling west on 9th Avenue South. Located in front of Queen Street Church of God. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1732 9th Avenue S, Saint Petersburg FL 33712, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally,

Early Housing Marker (left) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Brandon D Cross

2. Early Housing Marker (left)

this marker is on the 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: 9th Avenue South Corridor (here, next to this marker); From Farmhouse To Schoolhouse (within shouting distance of this marker); Happy Workers - Trinity Presbyterian (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); a different marker also named 9th Avenue South Corridor (about 400 feet away); Avenue of Faith (about 800 feet away); a different marker also named 9th Avenue South Corridor (about 800 feet away); Women United (approx. 0.2 miles away); Civic Associations (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in St. Petersburg.

Also see . . .
1. Shotgun Houses. (Submitted on December 5, 2024, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida.)
2. The Heritage Trail.

Queen Street Church of God image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Brandon D Cross

3. Queen Street Church of God

(Submitted on December 5, 2024, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida.)
3. The Deuces Live. (Submitted on December 5, 2024, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida.)

Credits. This page was last revised on December 6, 2024. It was originally submitted on December 5, 2024, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. This page has been viewed 178 times since then and 31 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on December 5, 2024, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.