The Edge Business District
11-B Matin Luther king Dr
St. Petersburg, Florida 33705
727-329-8869 | phone
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Our Mission: The downtown historic EDGE District is an award-winning Florida Main Street and Main Street America™ that plans, promotes, and advocates to sustain an eclectic, vibrant EDGE District community while preserving its unique character.
Our Vision: Downtown St. Petersburg’s historic EDGE District is a global destination and ideal urban living place. Rooted in a rich history of pioneering and industry, the district features restored buildings, landscaped corridors with majestic palms, public art, and eclectic shopping, dining, and cultural experiences. The district’s authentic, safe and beautiful environment promotes a connected, active community. Description of the Project
The EDGE District History Project is dedicated to gathering, cataloging, and publishing the history of the EDGE District.
Phase One: With no preexisting collection of historical materials specific to the EDGE District, developing that archive has been a priority for EBDA Executive Director Barbara Voglewede. In early 2015 she created The EDGE District History Project, and began gathering information, images, and materials relating to the early decades of the District’s development. She also created the EDGE Internship Program to involve area college students in the Project, and in 2015 interns Brandon Hernandez (USF) and Nat Muros (Eckerd College) offered invaluable assistance. Initial research for the Project focused on tracing the history of each existing building in the District, drawing heavily upon city and county property records, archived business directories and maps, and archived newspaper articles and ads. Adele Gilmore, Marta Jones (St. Petersburg Museum of History) and Kim Hinder (City of St. Petersburg's Historic Preservation Dept.) also contributed valuable references and resources toward our effort.
Phase Two: The Project's next phase focused on completing the first Comprehensive Historic Structures Survey of the EDGE District. In 2016, with grant funding from Florida Main Street, the EBDA employed Architectural Historian/Surveyor Laura Lee Corbett to conduct the Survey. Research that our team collected in Phase One of this Project played a significant role in informing that Survey. In all, the Survey evaluated 55 of the EDGE District buildings 50 years or older, and of those, it identified 35 as "contributing historic resources” eligible for either individual nomination or to support an EDGE Historic District nomination to the National Register of Historic Places. This provided us with an important baseline. Phase Three: The Project then focused on developing the first EDGE brochure with historical points of interest. Funded by a Florida Main Street grant, the EBDA hired local historian Jonathan Tallon and Big Sea Design as consultants on the brochure. (For the most recent copy of the brochure, see below.) *Grateful acknowledgement to underlying sources Raymond Arsenault, St. Petersburg and the Florida Dream, 1888-1950 (Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 1988); Karl Grismer, History of St. Petersburg: Historical and Biographical (St. Petersburg: The Tourist News Publishing Company,1924); Gary Mormino, Land of Sunshine, State of Dreams: A Social History of Modern Florida (Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2008); St. Petersburg Times and Evening Independent Archives; St. Petersburg City Directories 1928-1982, University of South Florida St. Petersburg Special Collections. Phase Four: Our current efforts involve publishing periodic reports and oral histories about the District. Each month's EBDA newsletter highlights a "Blast From The Past" to help celebrate our history. Do you have stories, photos, postcards, or other materials relating to EDGE District history? Please share them with us at 727-329-8869 or info@edgedistrict.org!
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