Sunny Clearwater Beach

When you begin your drive over the Memorial Causeway Bridge from Cleveland Street in Downtown Clearwater, Florida, excitement fills your mind as you cross over the bridge and see the crystal blue waters and white sands in the background.  When you get onto the beach and are amongst the towering condominium buildings it is hard to believe that Clearwater Beach has any history to it at all.  It is not until you head north on Mandalay Avenue towards the north end of the beach and see some of the remaining 20's and 30's beach cottages off of Mandalay Avenue, and a couple of remaining vintage motels.  Remnants of a by-gone era continue as you enter the North Beach and Carlouel Sections of Mandalay.  

Even though Spanish artifacts were excavated at the site of the present day Carlouel Yacht Club, the first settler's on the island occurred in 1883, which is not surprising due to a lack of access and the lack of fertile soil for farming.  The first known settler's were: Prudence Chafer who purchased a good portion of the south end of Clearwater Beach and Patrick Houston who purchased the land to the north.  The entire island was then purchased by Ernest Tate in 1897 for $200.00 and the island was referred to as "Tate's Island".  The island went into foreclosure in 1899 due to an unpaid debt and the north end of the island was purchased by Dunedin residents and Victoria Drive neighbors, Christopher Bouton and James Malone, in 1902.  The southern end was purchased by J.R. Davey, J.T. Bennett and T.H. Asbury in 1903.

The development of the northern section of Clearwater Beach and Mandalay was spearheaded by L.B. Skinner in 1910-1920; reference "A Stroll Through Downtown Dunedin".  Skinner was a very savvy businessman in the citrus industry in Dunedin, hotel business in Tampa and the development of north Clearwater Beach through his development, dredging and bridge companies.  E.T. Roux, Roux House/Clearwater Beach Hotel now the current site of the Sandpearl Resort located at 500 Mandalay Avenue, partnered with Skinner in the Clearwater Island Bridge Co., and was also a prominent name in the development of north Clearwater Beach.  It is interesting to know that many of the 1910-1930 cottage style homes that still exist on Mandalay Avenue and cross streets were barged across Clearwater Harbor rather than being constructed on site.  

L.B. Skinner sold off the northern end of the island to T.R. Palmer in 1933 due to the economic collapse.  In 1934, T.R. Palmer, Garrett Hobart (son of 24th US Vice President) and Paul Randolph created the Carlouel Company (named after the wives of the original owners: Carolyn Hobart, Louise Palmer, and Eleanor Randolph) in order to provide a West Palm Beach style yacht and tennis club and beach cottages for lease to wealthy locals and northerners who would winter in the area.  In 1947, Palmer who had become the sole owner, sold his interest to the 100 club members for $1,000 each.  

The island has certainly been hit hard by development and many of the original structures have been demolished such as the oldest home of record, an 1890's cottage (Sandsfoot Cottage) that was located at 809 Bay Esplanade.  The home was barged over in 1932 by the Bayly Family from its location on South Fort Harrison; reference "Enchanting Harbor Oaks", the Roux House which became the Clearwater Beach Hotel is now the Sandpearl Resort, the Carlouel Orchestra House which was located at 963 Bruce Avenue has been demolished and is now a two-story stilt frame beach house, and lastly many of the original Carlouel cottages and homes of the 1910's through 1930's have since been demolished and replaced with new homes.  Even though many of the original homes have been demolished, especially the waterfront homes due to the land value, many of the early cottage or bungalow style homes exist at the beginning of the North Beach section of Mandalay and perpendicular cross streets and the original Carlouel Cabana cottage constructed in 1930 by the Aiken, Bishop, Dimmitt, Palmer and Randolph families located at 1030 Eldorado Avenue still exists to this day.

References:
1) Clearwater Beach History & Architectural Inventory of the Built Environment prepared by the Volunteers in Preservation, Fall 1980.  Obtained from the Private Collection of Michael Sanders, Historian and Realtor.

Enchanting Harbor Oaks

Harbor Oaks was the first modern master planned development in Clearwater.  Located on Clearwater Harbor, Harbor Oaks is more than just a subdivision of exquisite architectural residences, but one which is rich in history as can be evidenced as you turn the corner onto Druid Road South and see the Fort Harrison commemorative plaque mounted on the decorative wall outside of 802 Druid Road. 

The plaque marks the general location of Fort Harrison, which is the first known documented activity in the area known as Harbor Oaks.  Fort Harrison, named after General William Henry Harrison and the 9th U.S. President, was established April 7, 1841 and was the headquarters for the Sixth Infantry (300 men) during the Second Seminole War.  Later that year, the fort was abandoned and the war came to an end the following year. 

The first settler on the site was James Stevens who homesteaded the area known as Harbor Oaks in December of 1842.  The homesteaded land went through several owners who raised cattle and hogs as well as grew vegetables on the land prior to and during the Civil War.  Not surprisingly, the land transformed into an orange grove in the late 1800's during the time when the Orange Belt Railway was constructed. 

The vision of Harbor Oaks was realized by a New York developer by the name of Dean Alvord in the early 1910's.  Initially, Alvord wanted to winter in the Clearwater area and wanted to purchase a lot in the area which is Harbor Oaks.  E.H. Coachman who was the owner of the Harbor Oaks land at the time sold all of the land to Alvord because he would not subdivide the land.  Alvord decided to develop the remainder of the land into an exclusive neighborhood with modern amenities that would attract the wealthy to the area.  Due to his New York connections he ended up enticing many wealthy New York natives and wealthy locals to the area.  The first home that Alvord constructed was his own estate located at 802 Druid Road.  Later purchased by Robert Brown who added two additional wings, created lush gardens and referred to it as Century Oaks.  Dean Alvord constructed his next estate in Belleair at the corner of Rosery Road and Eagles Nest Drive and constructed lavish gardens referred to as the Eagles Nest Japanese Gardens. The home and gardens have since been demolished and the land was subdivided and newer homes exist at the location. His brother, Donald Alvord who promoted and sold homes in Harbor Oaks, constructed the estate at 208 Magnolia Drive.  The grand estate at 205 Magnolia Drive is the Harrison/Plunkett House. The area has attracted many famous and wealthy people such as: 1) Donald Roebling, the great grandson of John Roebling (and grandson of Washington Roebling) who engineered the Brooklyn Bridge.  Donald Roebling was the inventor of the Amphibian "Alligator".   He constructed a tudor style estate adjacent to Century Oaks at 700 Orange Avenue in Spottis Woode.  2) James Studebaker III, automaker heir and banker. 3) Charles Ebbets, owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers. 4) M.A. McMullen, attorney and son of one of the pioneering families. 5) Taver Bayly, local citrus businessman and banker. 6) Sewell Ford, writer. 

There are many architectural styles in Harbor Oaks which include Italian, French and English style homes inspired from the Renaissance Classical period, Prairie and Craftsman from the Modern Period and Mission and Spanish Eclectic inspired homes.

References:
1) Harbor Oaks A Historic and Architectural Survey and Preservation Plan by Florida Preservation Services in coordination with local residents (namely Jan McNutt and Gyneth Stanley).  Florida Preservation Services Report obtained from the private collection of Michael Sanders, Historian and Realtor. 
2) Historical Tour of Downtown Clearwater Brochure, by the Clearwater Historical Society.
3) Yesterdays Clearwater by Hampton Dunn. 

Links of Interest:                                                
http://www.myclearwater.com/
http://www.visitstpeteclearwater.com/
http://www.dep.state.fl.us/deepwaterhorizon
http://www.cristinospizzeria.com/
http://www.naturesfoodpatch.com/
http://www.3bestchefs.com/
http://www.flyingneedlestx.com/
http://www.okeefestavernonline.com/
http://www.rolypoly.com/
http://www.columbiarestaurant.com/
http://www.bellavinowinemarket.com/

A Stroll Through Downtown Dunedin

Dunedin is the quintessential small American town.  Centered on a Main Street that lies at the intersection of Edgewater Drive and Broadway Boulevard and within view of St. Joseph Sound, Main Street is the gathering place for the locals and tourists.  The origins of Dunedin can be traced back to the 1870's where the settlement was referred to as Jonesboro.  Two Scotsmen, by the name of J.O. Douglas and James Somerville, opened a General Store that became very popular with the locals and they promoted a new name for the village to be called Dunedin, which is the Gaelic interpretation of Edinburgh-the hometown of Douglas and Somerville.  The main crop was cotton, which remnants can still be seen along the Pinellas Trail as you walk north of Skinner Boulevard (580).  Cotton was replaced by orange crops when the Orange Belt Railway was developed in the late 1880's by Peter Demens.  At the turn of the century, Dunedin consisted of locals and wealthy northerner's who wintered in Dunedin and constructed many of the homes on Victoria Drive, Scotland Street, Edgewater Drive and Albert Street in the downtown area.  The oldest home in Dunedin is the home of J.O. Douglas located at 209 Scotland Street.  The home has since been converted to the J.O. Douglas House Bed and Breakfast and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.  James Somerville built the home at 1037 Victoria Drive in 1888, per The Visitor's Guidebook to "Delightful" Dunedin, Florida.  The old plat map that is shown in Images of America Dunedin, shows that J. Somerville owned the parcel at the northeast corner of Victoria Drive and Monroe Street, which would lead you to assume that he built and owned a home at that corner, which would have been closer to his General Store.  Since the plat map does not extend to the northeast corner of Victoria Drive and Hancock Street one can only assume that he owned the parcel at that corner as well and constructed the home at 1037 Victoria Drive.  The Somerville Home is also referred to as the Francis Lee Skinner Home who was the 3rd owner.  The area was home to such names as: Walter Bull, mayor of Dunedin and developer; L.B. Skinner, citrus businessman, developer and owner of the Hillsboro Hotel in Tampa (lived at the corner of Victoria Drive and Jackson Street, which is presently Victoria Apartments); James Malone, yachtsman and businessman (951 Victoria Drive); Christopher Bouton, yachtsman and businessman (937 Victoria Drive); James Mease, physician and W.K. Kellogg, cereal king.  The architecture of the early homes of Dunedin were based on Medieval Styles (Queen Anne Victorian, Shingle, Gothic Revival).  After the turn of the century, large tracts of land were developed with Modern Style Homes (Prairie, Craftsman, Mission) and then the development of the Ranch and Contemporary beginning in the late 1930's.  There are a few Renaissance Classical inspired styles from the English, such as the Colonial, that can be spotted along Edgewater Drive, Scotland Street and Victoria Drive.

Today, Dunedin is a bustling little town center with fantastic shops and restaurants.  My favorite restaurants are: 1) Kelly's / Chic-a-Boom Room.  My favorite place to go for Egg's Benedict and a Bloody Mary.  Kelly's is a fast paced and very high energy eatery.  2) Cafe Alfresco.  A nice cafe to go for a pleasant and quite eating experience.  I go for the Salmon Salad w/ a Krusovice or one of their nightly dinner specials.  Their burgers are pretty good as well.  3) Casa Tina's.  A great Mexican eatery.  I go for the Enchiladas En Salsa Roja w/ one of their spectacular Margaritas. 

My favorite shops are: 1) Rasberries.  Where I go for all of my Vera Bradley bags.  They carry Brighton as well.  2) Paper Players.  The absolute best card, stationary and invitation boutique.  3) Rainbow's End Quilt Store.  The best quilting store that I have ever seen.  It is like the Home Depot of Quilting stores.  4) Rose Garden Boutique.  The owner's mother makes all of the knitted items in the store.  A great place to go for knitted baby items.  5) Kina Kouture.  A Chanel inspired boutique that has some fantastic classic style dresses.  I have purchased 2 dresses from them and absolutely love them!  My other favorites are: 1) Dunedin House of Beer - best selection of beer - period.  2) Strachan's Ice Cream Shop.  The fresh made waffle cones will make your knees weak as soon as you walk through the door. They have a 2nd store up in Palm Harbor at the corner of Alt 19 and Tampa 3) Flanagan's Irish Pub.  4) Kookie Krums.  Gift arrangements that you can EAT!

For local happenings and events I suggest adding http://www.dunedingov.com/ as one of your favorite links and keep an eye on the Special Event's Calendar. 

Links of Interest:
http://www.casatinas.com/
http://www.kinakouture.com/
http://kellyschicaboom.com/
http://www.kookiekrums.com/
http://www.paperplayers.com/
http://www.dunedinhob.com/
http://www.rainbowsendquiltshoppe.com/
http://www.theblackpearlrestaurant.com/
http://www.delightfuldunedin.com/
http://www.meranova.com/
JO Douglas House B&B 727-735-9006
http://www.dunedincottages.com/