Ponce De Leon Boutique Hotel
Encyclopedia
The Ponce De Leon Boutique Hotel (also known as Hotel Ponce De Leon in St. Petersburg, Florida
) is a historic landmark and Mission Revival
hotel in Downtown St. Petersburg, Florida. It is located at 95 Central Avenue, and on the corner of 10 Beach Drive. It was added to the Pinellas County
Historic Preservation Committee in December 1997 (HPC #97-04).
, a period which saw St. Petersburg develop into a major resort city. It was the first major hotel in St. Petersburg to be situated along the waterfront and represents the transition from small scale, mainly frame boarding houses and hotels built before the World War I
era to the large, masonry hotels built in the boom years of 1921-26. Hotels built in St. Petersburg before 1920 were small, usually less than 50 rooms, and entirely financed by their owner-operators. The first hotels built after the war in St. Petersburg, the Alexander in 1919 and the Cordova in 1921, show a change to masonry construction and architectural sophistication, but remained small in size. This shift in hotel type was a reflection of the growing wealth of the American economy in this period and the increased popularity of Florida as a winter tourist destination.
Designed by George Feltham, the locally notable architect also responsible for the First Baptist Church and the Green-Richman Arcade
, the Ponce De Leon is a six-story steel framed structure with concrete exterior clad in smooth stucco. It is rectangular in plan and contains a basement along the east half of the building. Typical of this style is the building’s flat roof, which is surrounded by a Mission-style parapet wall trimmed with art stone coping. Art stone quatrefoil served as a centerpiece underneath each shaped parapet. The building presents its prominent face to the south, which contains the main entrance. The original entrance, located asymmetrically along the eastern half of the south facade, was punctuated by five round art stone arches supported by brick piers. The tan brick piers are topped with art stone caps and a cornice
with frieze bands on the east, south, and west facades of the building. The open arcaded entrance porch, which provided the transition from the street level to the lobby, was later enclosed as the entrance was relocated just to the west. To the west of the original entrance were three store-fronts covered with decorative metal awnings suspended by chains. The south facade, which faces Central Avenue, features four symmetrically placed balconies and a cantilever
ed tile roof supported by decorative wood brackets. According to the original plans, this roof, which is centered between two parapets, was to be laid with green Spanish tile. Four sixth-floor windows along the south facade, located just below the shaped parapets, feature art stone architrave
with decorative inset tiles. Similar architrave are located along both the east and west facades under each shaped parapet.
St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...
) is a historic landmark and Mission Revival
Mission Revival Style architecture
The Mission Revival Style was an architectural movement that began in the late 19th century for a colonial style's revivalism and reinterpretation, which drew inspiration from the late 18th and early 19th century Spanish missions in California....
hotel in Downtown St. Petersburg, Florida. It is located at 95 Central Avenue, and on the corner of 10 Beach Drive. It was added to the Pinellas County
Pinellas County, Florida
Pinellas County is a county located in the state of Florida. Its county seat is Clearwater, Florida, and its largest city is St. Petersburg. This county is contained entirely within the telephone area code 727, except for some sections of Oldsmar, which have the area code 813...
Historic Preservation Committee in December 1997 (HPC #97-04).
History
The Ponce De Leon is a Mission style hotel constructed in 1922 during the beginning of the Florida Land BoomFlorida land boom of the 1920s
The Florida land boom of the 1920s was Florida's first real estate bubble, which burst in 1925, leaving behind entire new cities and the remains of failed development projects such as Aladdin City in south Miami-Dade County and Isola di Lolando in north Biscayne Bay...
, a period which saw St. Petersburg develop into a major resort city. It was the first major hotel in St. Petersburg to be situated along the waterfront and represents the transition from small scale, mainly frame boarding houses and hotels built before the World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
era to the large, masonry hotels built in the boom years of 1921-26. Hotels built in St. Petersburg before 1920 were small, usually less than 50 rooms, and entirely financed by their owner-operators. The first hotels built after the war in St. Petersburg, the Alexander in 1919 and the Cordova in 1921, show a change to masonry construction and architectural sophistication, but remained small in size. This shift in hotel type was a reflection of the growing wealth of the American economy in this period and the increased popularity of Florida as a winter tourist destination.
Designed by George Feltham, the locally notable architect also responsible for the First Baptist Church and the Green-Richman Arcade
Green-Richman Arcade
The Green-Richman Arcade is a historic site in St. Petersburg, Florida. It is located at 689 Central Avenue. On January 30, 1998, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places....
, the Ponce De Leon is a six-story steel framed structure with concrete exterior clad in smooth stucco. It is rectangular in plan and contains a basement along the east half of the building. Typical of this style is the building’s flat roof, which is surrounded by a Mission-style parapet wall trimmed with art stone coping. Art stone quatrefoil served as a centerpiece underneath each shaped parapet. The building presents its prominent face to the south, which contains the main entrance. The original entrance, located asymmetrically along the eastern half of the south facade, was punctuated by five round art stone arches supported by brick piers. The tan brick piers are topped with art stone caps and a cornice
Cornice
Cornice molding is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns any building or furniture element: the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the edge of a pedestal. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown molding.The function of the projecting...
with frieze bands on the east, south, and west facades of the building. The open arcaded entrance porch, which provided the transition from the street level to the lobby, was later enclosed as the entrance was relocated just to the west. To the west of the original entrance were three store-fronts covered with decorative metal awnings suspended by chains. The south facade, which faces Central Avenue, features four symmetrically placed balconies and a cantilever
Cantilever
A cantilever is a beam anchored at only one end. The beam carries the load to the support where it is resisted by moment and shear stress. Cantilever construction allows for overhanging structures without external bracing. Cantilevers can also be constructed with trusses or slabs.This is in...
ed tile roof supported by decorative wood brackets. According to the original plans, this roof, which is centered between two parapets, was to be laid with green Spanish tile. Four sixth-floor windows along the south facade, located just below the shaped parapets, feature art stone architrave
Architrave
An architrave is the lintel or beam that rests on the capitals of the columns. It is an architectural element in Classical architecture.-Classical architecture:...
with decorative inset tiles. Similar architrave are located along both the east and west facades under each shaped parapet.
External links
- Revival Beyond the Beach by Paul Reyes, August 24, 2008, New York Times
- Family recalls glory days at helm of historic hotel By Scott Taylor Hartzell, June 8, 2005, St. Petersburg Times