2013 Historic Building Survey of Saftey Harbor – Re-Photo Project

2013 Historic Building Survey of Saftey Harbor – Re-Photo Project by Musashi Yamasaki

In March 1994, Safety Harbor funded a “Historic Building Survey of Safety Harbor,” put together by Historic Property Associates, Inc.  Many people in the community also came together to help with the project.  Since its publication, the survey has proven to be of great assistance to me when reviewing historic properties in Safety Harbor.

The first time I used the survey in 2012, I was impressed with the scope of the project; but as I went through the document, I soon became alarmed at how many of the homes no longer exist.

Therefore, I set out to do a systematic house-by-house re-photo project of all 178 listings from the 1994 survey.  The 1994 survey effort had a team of people taking the photographs.  They also produced several versions, which were not marked and dated.  I have worked off of what clearly was a later version due to several errors in the original version, which was nicely bound and looks complete, but contains a number of errors which a later version remedied.  If you are following up on my effort, check to ensure which 1994 survey version you are using.

Since I did this work myself, I welcome corrections from readers.  My 2013 Re-Photo Project documents how many homes are still standing.  Please note, I have walked to each of these properties, and all photographs were taken by me.  The information provided here has been
verified to the best of my ability.

The 1994 survey document is a complete assessment of Safety Harbor’s architectural value. It also offers many wise recommendations as to what Safety Harbor can implement to preserve its architectural heritage. The historic research was exceedingly well done by Mr. James Hill and others. A photograph accompanies each home with the 1994 survey and is available online by the city of Safety Harbor.

http://www.cityofsafetyharbor.com/index.aspx?NID=241

The 1994 survey includes 178 sites. 25 of the properties were deemed at the time, by Mr. James Hill to be worthy of consideration of application to the National Register of Historic Places. While this was only one opinion based on his survey work, it was a polished professionals opinion and in no case do I disagree with his assessment of those properties.

Possibly more important than opinions on the value of  those 25 homes for national recognition, is the overall recommendation for Safety Harbor as a whole to preserve its remaining historic home inventory. The survey’s recommendations are a clarion call, now nearly 20 years old that largely have not been heeded. There was a flurry of historic preservation interest in the early 1990’s but was this was not sustained. The number of homes that no longer exist will hopefully provide a valuable insight into the pitfalls of not more fully embracing the 1994 Survey’s recommendations. With 20 years of hindsight to assist us, the survey now seems sadly prophetic.

From the survey come several conclusions and recommendations. Among them are these selected passages:

Conclusion – Page 7

The historic buildings of Safety Harbor embody the cultural heritage of the city. They are representative of all of the significant eras of historic development and provide a bold visual link to the city’s past. The periods in which they were constructed are reflected through their architectural design and the materials with which they were built. A number of buildings survive that have important associations with the historic development of the city. For the most part, these buildings are in good condition. Their concentration in the downtown redevelopment area give that section distinction from the post-World War II subdivisions that border it on all sides. Given the protection that these non-renewable historic resources deserve they will continue to provide a link between the old and new as Safety Harbor enters the twenty-first century.

National Register Potential in Safety Harbor – Page 35, 36

The historic resources of Safety Harbor offer a limited number of possibilities for National Register activity. Safety Harbor did not historically have much of a downtown; the city consisted largely of scattered farms and households in the historic  period. The commercial area buildings that did survive the historic period have in almost all cases been altered. Many disappeared as a result of fire or demolition. The remaining historic period buildings are relatively few in number and generally surrounded by new buildings, which eliminates the potential for creating a National Register district. The same is true of the community’s residential neighborhoods. Consequently, Safety Harbor’s National Register activity should focus on listing individual buildings that possess special historical and architectural merit and integrity. (Underline added by me for emphasis)

Local District and Landmarks – Page 36,37

What is also significant about the historic buildings in Safety Harbor is the link to the past which they provide. This can be important in developing community pride and a sense of place. Buildings generally offer the only tangible memory of a community’s history that residents and visitors can physically observe. Although the historic buildings in Safety Harbor are few in number, they symbolize stability in the community and serve as comfortable milestones for the people who grew up in their company.

END

I guess that last sentence really struck home for me as I was utilizing the 1994 survey. The “few in number’ are even more so and the loss of tangible memory is ever more acute. There are many recommendations outlined in the survey that the community could take, but the most direct method is to inform homeowner’s with houses that are candidates for National Historic Register listing, of the importance of that option available to them. For other older homes, the charm of the home and the quality of the materials used originally, should warrant restoration which could very easily be accomplished utilizing something like the 203K Rehab loan program.

 

2013 Re-Photo Project based on the 1994 Historic Building Survey of Safety Harbor

Inventory of Homes Surveyed in Safety Harbor, Florida in August 2013

All work completed by Musashi Yamasaki

(The address comes first, then a picture of the home if it still exists. A photo viewer is at the the very bottom is you just want to browse the remaining homes)

All told, there are 38 homes that No Longer Exist based on my work here, that appeared on the 1994 survey. That represents a loss of 21% in just two decades. Another way to say this is Safety Harbor has been losing almost 2 historic homes, every year, for the past 20 years. No more math is needed to figure out that if something is not done, precious few will remain. Worse still, the losses have not been uniform. As the homes age, the pace of historic home losses in Safety Harbor is accelerating. A simple walking tour will show you there are many more than 2 that will likely be lost in 2014.

Also, Quite a few homes from the 1994 survey, have since been turned into businesses. I find it very commendable that these homes have partly been saved by these businesses, sometimes at significant cost to the business, but there is no way around the fact that the residential feel is lost and should be considered when counting the impact this transition of usage represents.

There have been a few examples where, recently, a historic home has been lovingly restored and the effect is quite stunning. The property value is significantly enhanced as well as there are so few excellent historic homes left in Safety Harbor. The 203(k) loan program is an excellent vehicle for the rehab of many of the remaining homes.

(1) 623 1st Avenue North

No Longer Exists

235 2nd Avenue North

235 2nd Avenue North Safety Harbor

237 2nd Avenue North

237 2nd Avenue North Safety Harbor

(2) 244 2nd Avenue North

No Longer Exists

255 2nd Avenue North

255 2nd Avenue North Safety Harbor

123 2nd Avenue South

123 2nd Avenue South

326 2nd Street North

326 2nd Street North

333 2nd Street North

333 2nd Street North

335 2nd Street North

335 2nd Street North

526 2nd Street North

526 2nd Stree North

706 2nd Street North

706 2nd Street North

715 2nd Street North

715 2nd Street North

734 2nd Street North

734 2nd Street North

735 2nd Street North735 2nd Street North

744 2nd Street North

744 2nd Street North

(3) 233 2nd Street South

No Longer Exists

328 2nd Street South

328 2nd Street South

333 2nd Street South

333 2nd Street South

338 2nd Street South

338 2nd Street South

348 2nd Street South

348 2nd Street South

(4) 433 2nd Street South

No Longer Exists: A business Florida Insurance Partners is there with new building on the lot

(5) 446 2nd Street South

No Longer Exists: A new home is built on the lot

500 2nd Street South

500 2nd Street South

519 2nd Street South

519 2nd Street South

122 3rd Avenue North

122 3rd Avenue North

124 3rd Avenue North

124 3rd Avenue North

147 3rd Avenue North

147 3rd Avenue North

153 3rd Avenue North

153 3rd Avenue North

204 3rd Avenue North

204 3rd Avenue North

205 3rd Avenue North

205 3rd Avenue North

206 3rd Avenue North

206 3rd Avenue North

215 3rd Avenue North

215 3rd Avenue North

225 3rd Avenue North

225 3rd Avenue North

234 3rd Avenue North

234 3rd Avenue North

235 3rd Avenue North

235 3rd Avenue North

244 3rd Avenue North

244 3rd Avenue North

254 3rd Avenue North

254 3rd Avenue North

(6) 323 3rd Avenue North

No Longer Exists: A large new home is on the lot

324 3rd Avenue North

324 3rd Street North

334 3rd Avenue North

334 3rd Avenue North

(7) 344 3rd Avenue North

No Longer Exists: a large townhouse building is here now

446 3rd Avenue North446 3rd Avenue North

123 3rd Avenue South

123 3rd Avenue South Safety Harbor, Florida

(8) 137 3rd Avenue South

No Longer Exists

226 3rd Street North

226 3rd Street North, Safety Harbor, Florida

333 3rd Street North

333 3rd Street North Safety Harbor, Florida

535 3rd Street North

535 3rd Street North Safety Harbor, Florida

730 3rd Street North

730 3rd Street North, Safety Harbor, Florida

(9) 834 3rd Street North

No Longer Exists

(10) 1035 3rd Street North

No Longer Exists: new house on the lot

1105 3rd Street North

1105 3rd Street North Safety Harbor, Florida

600 3rd Street South

P1020313

(11) 600 1/2 3rd Street South

No Longer Exists

122 4th Avenue North

122 4th Avenue North

135 4th Avenue North

135 4th Avenue North

136 4th Avenue North

136 4th Avenue North

146 4th Avenue North

146 4th Avenue North

156 4th Avenue North

156 4th Avenue North

200 4th Avenue North

200 4th Avenue North

236 4th Avenue North

236 4th Avenue North

244 4th Avenue North

244 4th Avenue North

314 4th Avenue North

314 4th Avenue North

326 4th Avenue North

326 4th Avenue North

123 4th Avenue South

123 4th Avenue South

(12) 123 1/2 4th Avenue South

No Longer Exists

(13) 132 4th Avenue South

No Longer Exists

318 4th Street North

318 4th Street North (MLK) Safety Harbor, Florida

405 4th Street North

405 4th Street North (MLK) Safety Harbor, Florida

(14) 415 4th Street North

No Longer Exists: new house built in 2007 on lot

425 4th Street North

425 4th Street North (MLK) Safety Harbor, Florida

445 4th Street North

445 4th Street North (MLK) Safety Harbor, Florida

836 4th Street North

836 4th Street North (MLK) Safety Harbor, Florida

735 4th Street South

735 4th Street South Safety Harbor, Florida

736 4th Street South

736 4th Street South Safety Harbor, Florida

1035 4th Street South

1035 4th Street South Safety Harbor, Florida

1128 4th Street South

1148 4th Street South Safety Harbor, Florida

216 5th Avenue North

216 5th Avenue North

251 5th Avenue North

251 5th Avenue North

(15) 305 5th Avenue North

No Longer Exists

325 5th Avenue North

325 5th Avenue North

345 5th Avenue North

345 5th Avenue North

516 5th Avenue North

516 5th Avenue North

535 5th Avenue North

535 5th Avenue North

(16) 536 5th Avenue North

No Longer Exists: A new house is on the lot

572 5th Avenue North

572 5th Avenue North

326 5th Street North

326 5th Street North Safety Harbor, Florida

355 5th Street North

355 5th Street North  Safety Harbor, Florida

420 5th Street North (Listed in 94 survey as 414 but it is 420)

420 5th Street North Safety Harbor, Florida

(17) 415 5th Street North

No Longer Exists

425 5th Street North

425 5th Street North Safety Harbor, Florida

426 5th Street North

426 5th Avenue North Safety Harbor, Florida

446 5th Street North

446 5th Avenue North Safety Harbor, Florida

505 5th Street South

505 5th Street South Safety Harbor, Florida

600 5th Street South

600 5th Street South Safety Harbor, Florida

646 5th Street South

646 5th Street South Safety Harbor, Florida

665 5th Street South

665 5th Street South Safety Harbor, Florida

804 5th Street South

804 5th Street South Safety Harbor Florida

242 6th Avenue North

242 6th Avenue North Safety Harbor, Florida

307 6th Avenue North

307 6th Avenue North Safety Harbor, Florida

205 6th Avenue South

205 6th Avenue South Safety Harbor, Florida

207 6th Street North

207 6th Street North Safety Harbor, Florida

311 6th Street North

311 6th Street South Safety Harbor, Florida

613 6th Street North

613 6th Avenue North Safety Harbor, Florida

(18) 326 7th Avenue North

No Longer Exists: new house on lot

132 7th Avenue South

132 7th Avenue South Safety Harbor, Florida

337 7th Avenue South

337 7th Avenue South Safety Harbor, Florida

(19) 225 8th Avenue North

No Longer Exists: office building on lot

(20) 235 8th Avenue North

No Longer Exists: office building on lot

333 8th Avenue North

333  8th Avenue North Safety Harbor, Florida

650 14th Avenue South

650 14th Avenue South Safety Harbor, Florida

675 14th Avenue South

675 14th Avenue South Safety Harbor, Florida

855 14th Avenue South

855 14th Avenue South Safety Harbor, Florida

895 14th Avenue South

895 14th Avenue South Safety Harbor, Florida

142 Bailey Street

142 Bailey Street Safety Harbor, Florida

217 Bailey Street

217 Bailey Street Safety Harbor, Florida

239 Bailey Street

239 Bailey Street Safety Harbor, Florida

319 Bailey Street

319 Bailey Street Safety Harbor, Florida

105 Bayshore Drive North (Spa building)

105 Bayshore Drive North SpaA

105 Bayshore Drive North (Another Spa Building)

105 Bayshore Drive North SpaB

(21) 209 Bayshore Drive North

No Longer Exists

311 Bayshore Drive North

311 North Bayshore Drive Safety Harbor, Florida

(22) 807 Bayshore Drive North

No Longer Exists

(23) 1201 Bayshore Drive North

No Longer Exists

(24) 1407 Bayshore Drive North

No Longer Exists

(25) 227 Bayshore Drive South

No Longer Exists

(26) 315 Bayshore Drive South

No Longer Exists

325 Bayshore Drive South

325 Bayshore Drive South

333 Bayshore Drive South

333 Bayshore Drive South

(27) 1300 Cedar Street

No Longer Exists

(28) 1025 Cherokee Street

No Longer Exists

305 Church Street

305 Church Street Safety Harbor, Florida

347 Church Street

347 Church Street Safety Harbor, Florida

(29) 955 Delaware Street

No Longer Exists: new veterinarian office there now

1061 Delaware Street

1061 Delaware Street Safety Harbor, Florida

(30) 546 Elm Street

No Longer Exists: church built a new church in 2000 on same lot

734 Elm Street

734 Elm Street Safety Harbor, Florida

1675 Ensley Avenue

1675 Ensley Avenue Safety Harbor, Florida

3512 Enterprise Road East

3512 Enterprise Road East Safety Harbor, Florida

(31) 3678 Enterprise Road East

No Longer Exists

(32) 750 Harbor Hill Drive

No Longer Exists: new habitat for humanity home built on the lot

835 Harbor Hill Drive

835 Harbor Hill Drive Safety Harbor, Florida

216 Hillsborough Street

216 Hillsborough Street Safety Harbor, Florida

254 Iron Age Street

254 Iron Age Street

244 Iron Age Street

244 Iron Age Street

55 Irwin Street

55 Irwin Street Safety Harbor, Florida

(33) 100 Jefferson Street

No Longer Exists

(34) 1001 Jessie Avenue

No Longer Exists

101 Main Street

101 Main Street Safety Harbor, Florida

200 Main Street

200 Main Street Safety Harbor, Florida

344 Main Street

344 Main Street Safety Harbor, Florida

454 Main Street

454 Main Street Safety Harbor, Florida

509 Main Street

509 Main Street Safety Harbor, Florida

(35) 511 Main Street

Does Not Exist

980 Main Street

980 Main Street Safety Harbor, Florida

1005 Main Street

1005 Main Street Safety Harbor, Florida

1009 Main Street

1009 Main Street Safety Harbor, Florida

(36) 1026 Main Street

Does Not Exist

(37) 1029 Main Street

Does Not Exist

1710 Main Street

1710 Main Street Safety Harbor, Florida

1970 McMullen-Booth Road

(Need to drive by again, last on list to finish)

2175 McMullen Booth Road

2175 McMullen-Booth Road Safety Harbor, Florida

2444 McMullen Booth Road

2444 McMullen-Booth Road Safety Harbor, Florida

325 S. Bayshore Boulevard

325 S. Bayshore Blvd

325 S. Bayshore Boulevard (Carriage House)

325 Museum Court

(38) 255 Philllippe Parkway

Does Not Exist

2100 Phillippe Parkway

2100 Phillippe Parkway Safety Harbor, Florida

205 Short Street

205 Short Street Safety Harbor, Florida

215 Short Street

215 Short Street Safety Harbor, Florida

221 Short Street

221 Short Street Safety Harbor, Florida

247 Short Street

247 Short Street Safety Harbor, Florida

925 Suwanee Street

925 Suwanee Street Safety Harbor, Florida

936 Suwanee Street

936 Suwanee Street Safety Harbor, Florida

959 Suwanee Street

959 Suwanee Street Safety Harbor, Florida

245 Tucker Street

245 Tucker Street Safety Harbor, Florida

289 Tucker Street

289 Tucker Street Safety Harbor, Florida

305 Tucker Street

305 Tucker Street Safety Harbor, Florida

342 Tucker Street

342 Tucker Street Safety Harbor, Florida

354 Tucker Street

354 Tucker Street Safety Harbor, Florida

366 Washington Avenue

366 Washington Avenue Safety Harbor, Florida

2013 Safety Harbor Historic Homes Survey

A comprehensive Re-Photo Project of the 1994 Safety Harbor Florida Historical Homes Survey. Completed in August 2013 by Musashi Yamasaki of RE/MAX Realtec.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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