Home to more than 2500 residents living in over 1100 single family homes, the neighborhood has one of the highest concentrations of bungalows in Florida. Many of the homes date from the 1920's, when the Arts and Crafts movement had reached its zenith in cities as diverse as San Diego, Denver, Chicago, and, of course, St. Petersburg.
Our neighbors make Historic Kenwood a special place. Our active Neighborhood Association raises funds for civic projects of all kinds and lobbies on behalf of historic preservation issues. Our beautiful Pavilion in Seminole Park (3rd Ave. North and 29th Street) was built with the dedicated work of HKNA's nearly 200 members. Our membership continues to grow. Each month, new residents introduce themselves at our general meetings held the first Thursday of the month.
Two special annual events of note include our Founders Day in March, and Bungalowfest, a tour of homes celebrating the architectural richness of our community, held the first Saturday in November. Visit the Photo Gallery to see pictures of homes shown on Bungalowfest tours.
While there's no substitute for an in person visit, we invite you take a virtual tour through the pages of our web site, the winner of the 2004 St. Petersburg Neighborhood Partnership Award for Website of the Year.
We welcome your comments. Historic Kenwood residents voice their opinions regularly on a wide range of topics in the Message Forums. While the Forums are reserved for residents only, visitors may e-mail either myself or any member of the HKNA Board. You'll find those e-mail addresses under Links.
President
Historic Kenwood Neighborhood Association
The beginnings of
Historic Kenwood may be traced to March 15, 1912, the year Charles R. Hall, one of the city's early developers, filed the first plat within its modern boundaries. The anniversary of that event is celebrated each year as
Historic Kenwood Founders Day.
The housing in
Historic Kenwood is typical of St. Petersburg development from the 1920s through the 1950s. While many styles are evident, from Frame Vernacular to Minimal Traditional, Colonial, Mediterranean and Ranch, bungalows of some sort (typically Craftsman) constitute over 50 percent of the homes.
St. Petersburg High School (1926), listed on the
National Register of Historic Places, sits in the heart of
Historic Kenwood along
5th Avenue North. Pictures of the school appear in our
Photo Gallery.
When the first housing survey was completed in 1995, during the process of applying for historic status, there were 1104 structures in
Historic Kenwood. Interestingly, not all of these homes were built on their current sites. Approximately 170 bungalows were relocated to
Historic Kenwood during the 1930's, helping to cement its bungalow identity.
As was the case with many inner city areas, the neighborhood fell into neglect beginning in the 1950s.
Interstate 275 was built in the 1970s, forming
Historic Kenwood's eastern boundary.
U.S. 19 or 34th Street, the western boundary, became more commercial during this time. The traditional "mom and pop" businesses on the southern boundary along
Central Avenue declined.
In the early 1990s urban pioneers began a neighborhood revival in both
Historic Kenwood and the
Grand Central District which continues full steam today, during which many beautiful restorations to these historic homes and businesses have been made. (See them in the
Photo Gallery.) These efforts reached a milestone when
Historic Kenwood received its historic status from the
National Register on August 4, 2003.
