Neighborhoods

Jordan Park

Location: A Block West of 22nd Street, south of 9th Ave South

 
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  • Elder Jordan Sr. and his sons operated a bus line, opened a beach for African Americans, and constructed houses and rooming homes.

  • Jordan and his sons would built a fortress-like structure, originally a dance hall, that is now known as the Manhattan Casino.

  • In 1926 Jordan Elementary opened.

  • In 1940 construction began on Jordan Park. This would be the city’s first housing project. On April 10th, 1940, the first resident settled.

22nd Street (The Deuces)

 
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  • 22nd Street became the lifeline and main street for African-Americans as the city continued to push them towards the city’s edge.

  • In 1904 Elder Jordan Sr. and his family moved from Columbia County and settled on the western edge of the city on a dusted road, 22nd Street. During this time, this part of Tampa Bay was considered Hillsborough County.

  • Jordan Sr. and his sons began constructing wooden houses and grouped them into enclaves, reported between 1917 and 1925, in the 22nd Street area. He had ambitions to establish an African-American Community that would thrive.

  • According to data, “The Deuces” boasted more than 100 businesses during the late 1950s and the early 1960s.

Gas Plant (Coopers Quarters)

Location: West of 9th Street between 1st and 5th Ave South

 
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  • The neighborhood received its name after the two dramatic cylinders stored with natural gas that dominated the skyline.

  • This neighborhood had enclaves within it: Sugar Hill, Little Egypt, and Lincoln Court 

  • Interdependent, and embraced by its adjacent sister and brother neighborhoods, the Gas Plant had its own Black business section. Davis Academy founded in 1910, was a school only for young African-American students. The other school in the neighborhood was privately owned, McGrey. 

  • By the end of the century nine churches, 500 households, and 285 businesses were demolished with the promise of having a baseball field that would create jobs and “affordable housing.”

Gas Plant Area circa 1970

Gas Plant Area circa 1970

Gas Plant Area circa 1970

Gas Plant Area circa 1970

Gas Plant Area circa 1930s-1940sCourtesy special collections, USF St. Petersburg campus library

Gas Plant Area circa 1930s-1940s

Courtesy special collections, USF St. Petersburg campus library

Gas Plant Area circa 1930s-1940sCourtesy special collections, USF St. Petersburg campus library

Gas Plant Area circa 1930s-1940s

Courtesy special collections, USF St. Petersburg campus library

Gas Plant Area circa 1930s-1940sCourtesy special collections, USF St. Petersburg campus library

Gas Plant Area circa 1930s-1940s

Courtesy special collections, USF St. Petersburg campus library

Methodist Town

Location: West of 9th St North, and between Arlington and 5th Ave North

 
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  • The historic neighborhood was named after the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, which was founded in 1894.

  • This was one of two African-American neighborhoods that settled on the city’s “NorthSide.” This was a peculiar occurrence because Blacks, by custom and ordinance, were restricted from this side of town

  • Mr. Chester James Sr. was deemed the “unofficial mayor” of Methodist Town. James lobbied the city to pave streets and ignite the street lights. As an activist he also campaigned to register 1,000 voters. His efforts were recognized and awarded from both the NAACP and President Lyndon Johnson in the 1960’s.

 
 

Residents of Methodist Town

Photos sourced by the Neighborhood News Bureau/USFSP and the St. Petersburg History Museum.

Pepper Town

Location: Extended along 3rd and 4th Ave South, east of 9th St N

 
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  • Residents named the neighborhood to pay homage to the abundant, flowering nightshade plant. The neighborhood thrived in the 1950’s.

  • Was one of the first historic African-American neighborhoods to become obsolete due to the downtown expansion.

 
James King of Pepper Town

James King joined the police force in 1960, becoming one of twelve African- American men who were amongst the city’s first black police officers, better known as “ The Courageous Twelve”. He grew up in Pepper Town.