Roser Park Drive, St. Petersburg, FL circa 19--? Roser Park - Hidden, Hilly & Historic by Jack Spinrad 6 Have you ever heard of Roser Park or even know where or what it is? I happened upon it one day, quite by accident after making a wrong turn. I had heard it mentioned over the years and figured it was just another one of St. Petersburg’s many neighborhoods. Southbound on Dr. Martin Luther King Street, I made a forced left onto 7th Avenue South when the lane I was in ended, but another vehicle kept me from changing lanes. “Okay,” I thought, “I can just take this down to 4th Street,” but I soon found it didn’t go through. Rather, it turned right onto Roser Park Drive South and crossed 8th Street South. I was amazed to find myself on a hill, in an area of the city that was far different from anyplace else in the city. On my left was a concrete-lined creek, complete with footbridges. It was as though I had gone back to a quieter time in a beautiful park-like setting, west, and Booker Creek and Ingleside Avenue (11th Avenue South) to the north and south— was added to the National Historic Register in 1987. Entranced by the historic nature of the area, I wandered the narrow, brick streets in my car at idle speed to enjoy the different styles of homes built on the well-shaded streets. Eventually, I came upon an old cemetery and stopped to wander among the tombstones. Among the headstones were veterans from both sides of the Civil War. There are two virtually identical monuments, which were erected in 1900, one for the Confederates and the other for the Union side. I found the name was Greenwood Cemetery, and later learned that in addition to the Civil War veterans, St. Petersburg’s first mayor and the man who developed Bayboro Harbor are both buried here, among many other pioneers and notable residents from the early days of our city. Back in my car, I continued my wanderings until I came back upon the meandering Booker Creek, which played a large part in the development of the area. A pleasant walkway follows along the stream. I just had to grab the camera I keep in the glove compartment and get out of my auto again to take a closer look. Crossing one of the footbridges, I followed the walkway for a while and came upon a wooden sign that said Roser Park, which stood in front of a green hillside with shaded benches. surrounded by old homes built in a variety of styles: craftsman, bungalow and several revival styles, Mediterranean, colonial and Tudors, among others. These beautiful old houses had for the most part been lovingly restored. I later found out that within the neighborhood’s 270 acres, there are 173 historic structures. The Roser Park Neighborhood—found roughly between 4th Street and 9th Street (MLK) to the east and
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