The Historic Roser Park Tour of Homes is held every spring. This year's tour is scheduled for Saturday, March 22nd from 10am - 4pm. Tickets are $10.00 and are available on the day of the Tour until 3pm. There are 7 homes on the Tour this year, including the Bradshaw Mansion, a guided walking tour of the Outdoor Museum and a view of the progress being made on the City's "Booker Creek opening" project. This year we are pleased to offer sponsorships as well. Scroll down to the bottom of this page to download further information about sponsorships and the Tour. Free parking is available in the medical parking garage at 8th Street and 7th Avenue South. For information call (727) 898-9229. Click here for directions.
Welcome to Historic Roser Park's Annual Tour of Homes. We are proud to share our homes with you again this year.

Our Tour of Homes has been a great success, and has been featured in The Wall Street Journal and on HGTV.
All of our homes display a variety of styles and the vibrant spirit of revival and preservation in Historic Roser Park.
With increased interest and revitalization in Historic Roser Park, our association has become more active in promoting and enhancing the unique qualities of our neighborhood. The Tour Of Homes is one way of doing this.

We typically host over 300 guests each year, and from the proceeds we have been able to add many attractive improvements. Other exciting events include the HRPNA Art Festival, and the Christmas Luminary Walk along Booker Creek. Please ask any of our neighbors about upcoming events.

Those of you returning to the tour will undoubtedly notice the dramatic changes that have occurred since your last visit. If you are new to Roser Park, as you walk around the neighborhood, you will begin to understand why our residents love this jewel of St. Petersburg.

We hope you enjoy your visit and gain an appreciation for St. Petersburg's first historic district. We thank you for visiting and hope you will return for future events.

Here is an overview of some of the homes featured on this years Tour:

When Will and Laura Engleby bought this two story 1922 Vernacular Craftsman in late 2004, it was a 3 unit apartment complex in much need of TLC. As a boat building wood craftsman, Will was undaunted by the project, but first had to make a portion of the house livable for Laura and their expected baby. So, he began with the 2nd floor apartment, adding a new bathroom, electrical, plumbing, drywall, paint and lighting. One week after completing this initial renovation, baby Wilson was born and they moved in.
What you see upon entering the downstairs is a great example of the conditions the Engleby's faced. The tacky drop ceiling and wall paneling has been removed, exposing portions of the lathe. It is quite intimidating, but looking at the old paneled doors, the Arts and Craft fireplace with Cuban tile hearth and the wonderful condition of the heart of pine floors, you can imagine the promise this old house holds. Imagination comes to fruition when you enter the second floor.
This Mediterranean Revival house was built in 1926. Typical of the architectural style, the first floor has a flat roof with parapets at the corners, which were originally covered with barrel tile. The peaked roof over the second story bedroom is somewhat unusual, however, many boom-time builders took such an eclectic approach. The exterior stucco finish has refined, decorative friezes near the roofline which frame the air vents. The kitchen was extensively renovated in 1983 by then-owners John & Jill Warren. Custom-made cabinetry and hand painted Spanish tiles were used in the renovation.

Current owners, Dave and Debra Camfferman purchased the home in 1996. They were happily surprised to find both Roser Park, and a Spanish style home of this size in such a unique location. Since the purchase, Dave and Deb have made repairs to the oak hardwood floors, and have enlarged the upstairs master bathroom, which is covered in marble. The most recent effort has been in painting the exterior, a project that has wowed all who have seen it.

The traditional American Foursquare is a two story, box like house with a low-hipped roof, front dormer, broad eaves and full width porch. Normally, the exterior is unadorned, relying on its shape and proportion for visual impact. Trey and Sara McDonald's 1922 Foursquare has all this with a couple of bonus features. The large front columns at either end of the spacious porch support an especially unique roof deck accessed form the upstairs bedroom.

Sometime in the late 1970's, a Christmas tree fire damaged much of the interior. Previous owners and restorationists, Curt Beville and Lee Sherry replaced much of the charred heart-of-pine woodwork with wood salvaged from other old homes slated for demolition. Trey and Sara were the lucky beneficiaries of Curt and Lee's labors, and continue the restoration work in the same spirit. They are nearly finished remodeling the upstairs, and have begun removal of the vinyl siding. This will be an arduous task since much of the original clapboard siding is charred from the fire.

In addition to their love for their old house and Roser Park, they also have a great love for Florida's environment. They are landscaping their front and back yards with native Florida plants from "Twigs and Leaves," a local nursery owned by Historic Roser Park neighbors, Mike Manlowe and Philippe Piquet. Their "Florida friendly" yard attracts several species of butterflies and birds, while conserving water and minimizing the need for fertilizer.

Russ and Rita Peterman moved into their 1938 Federalist home in December 2005 and immediately began plans for extensive renovations. Aside from a pool and an unfinished kitchen that the previous owners had installed, no major work had been done to the structure since 1940, when additions were added to the back and both ends. The main house also came with a three-story Vernacular income property that needed a significant overhaul. Built in 1948, it originally faced Jasmine Terrace.

To make the most of their new home, they chose to tackle the income property first. This was no small task since they were going to do all the work themselves. Strapping on their tool belts, they removed the front room and added a front porch, re-sided the exterior walls, ran new plumbing and electrical, began restoration on all the floors and windows, gutted the kitchen for remodeling, and are working on converting a half-bathroom to a full. They are currently painting the outside with an attractive, historical color scheme, and are nearing completion.

Their main house will get their attention next. Plans include re-siding of the exterior, restoring the windows, remodeling the kitchen, rebuilding the deck, and adding a fishpond in the back yard. The final touch will be a decorative fence in the front.

As the keystone or 'anchor' of the Ingleside Avenue revitalization project, the Bradshaw Mansion at 609 11th Avenue South has had several periods of note, but none as welcomed by the surrounding neighborhoods as the current. Built in 1914 by Mayor James G. Bradshaw, the house represented the culmination of his boyhood dream of a permanent and substantial home. As Bradshaw's obituary explains, due to repeated dislocation during the Civil War, "the family was kept on the move when he was a youngster and for a time was only about two jumps ahead of the troops."

In the 1930s the Bradshaw Mansion served as dormitory style lodging to a group of college graduates, during which time it was dubbed the "Zylch House." By dividing large homes and living expenses among themselves, the Zylchers started their careers with a stable financial footing. One of the residents included Pete Norton, then sports editor for the St Petersburg Times. The weekly bill for each resident was around $7, including salaries for cook and maid, food, and utilities, but increased to $15 the week the house rent came due ($55 per month). An oral history of the time recalls that "[many social hostesses were delighted to find six or seven available bachelors, so the group would receive many social invitations]." Between 1940 and 2001, many Roser Park houses, including the Bradshaw Mansion saw a succession of owners and tenants. Routine maintenance was deferred, and the neighborhood lost a similarly sized mansion one block west, at 7th Street.

Beginning in 2001, a heightened level of interest, appreciation and investment has started to return properties like the Bradshaw Mansion to conditions worthy of boyhood dreams, and then some. After many years of neglect and ruin, current owners Tom Barrett and Len Johnsen bought and rebuilt the Bradshaw Mansion at tremendous cost, rescuing it from the brink of extinction. Today, it is the only remaining structure in Roser Park that typifies the grandeur of the large mansions that were once more numerous here, mansions like that of Charles Roser himself. Roser Park is indeed fortunate and grateful that Tom and Len had the vision and wherewithal to restore this truly historic and beautiful building to its former eminence.

As the unique visions of forebears like Bradshaw and, and especially of neighborhood founder, Charles Roser are carefully reinterpreted in the modern age, Roser Park is gradually reapproaching the notoriety it enjoyed in its heyday. While the remarkable pace of this trend has slowed somewhat in the downturned housing market of recent years, it has nonetheless continued, as you will see on this years tour.

Here is an overview of some of the homes which have been featured in past years, and which may be featured again on future tours:

876 Roser Park Drive is the first new home to be built on this historic thoroughfare in more than 80 years. The 2,500 SF "Charleston" style home of Nick and Carolyn Pavonetti features a stunning, panoramic view of Booker Creek from a broad, open porch, and incorporates modern comfort with a historic flare.

720 9TH St. S. (MLK) Just next door, is Robert and Cynthia Tarsitano's 1923 double-gabled Bungalow. Of great interest to our neighborhood, this structure is now the only original remaining bungalow on this end of the neighborhood. Renovations began in February of 2005. There is still much to be done, but this old house has come a long way from the brink of extinction.

730 Roser Park Drive Paul & Bernadette Ohran's two-story Craftsman is perched high on the hill at Roser Park Drive & Prospect Court in the heart of the neighborhood. This majestic dwelling typifies the uniqueness of Roser Park with its architecture, geography, and lush tropical vegetation. One of its most striking features is its enchanted garden view (pictured at the bottom of this page).

809 Prospect Court

Right next-door is Sarah McLeod's lofty and picturesque bungalow. With its cascading, colorful gardens, you can't miss it. A true ornament of the neighborhood, its high vantage (pictured at the bottom of this page) affords one of the best views of Booker Creek and living-legend, Charles the Oak tree, named for the Park's founder, Charles Roser.

903 PROSPECT ST. is another great Roser Park success story. Built in 1923 as a single family, 903 was subdivided into several apartments in the early 70s, and thereafter steadily deteriorated. In 1996, the property was restored and renovated by Steve Casseau. "Big Yella" is now the home of Bruce Brouillette, who continues the renovation.

909 PROSPECT ST. This 1914 bungalow is home to Catherine Nivens and Michele Cardinal, and features 3-bedrooms, 1 ½ baths. Viewed from the street, it's especially warm and inviting. Cat and Michele have remodeling some of the cramped spaces, typical of our older houses. The master bathroom is now more than twice its original size with a spacious shower and walk-in closet. Oh, and GO SOX!

History of Roser Park & Booker Creek: This portion of the tour highlights a unique characteristic of the Roser Park neighborhood: its outdoor museum. The project was installed in 1998 as a way to educate visitors about the rich history of Historic Roser Park and Saint Petersburg. It features a series of 28 wrought-iron placards that display period photographs, postcards and historical information describing various features of Roser Park. The project won "Best Neighborhood Project" from the City and "Best Public Education Project" from St. Petersburg Preservation in 1999.

Your guide is Ron Motyka, past president of the Historic Roser Park Neighborhood Association and creator of the project. He will compare Roser Park today with the neighborhood as it was when first constructed at the turn of the century.

The walk will begin at "Charles," the historic live-oak tree near marker #11 (pictured above). Tours begin at 11:00, 1:00, and 3:00. The planning that Mr. Charles Roser put into the neighborhood is apparent as you wind along Booker Creek, surrounded by the verdant landscape and homes that seem to float above the vegetation. Majestic royal palms tower overhead. Along the way, you will see the reconstructed arbors and footbridge, handcrafted birdhouses and much more. It is our hope that you will return to explore the rest of the neighborhood and markers. Enjoy your visit!