Over the course of the last few years, things weren’t looking good for the Blocker Mansion. A few years ago the 100-year-old home at 145 4th Ave. NE. was bought by a developing company with plans to build a swanky high rise with shops underneath. Steps were taken to try and keep this from happening.
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St. Pete Preservation applied for a historic landmark designation for the Blocker home but the proposal was struck down by the City Council in January 2011, stating that the renovation costs (upwards of $750,000) were too much.
Plans for the high rise condo were scrapped when Chuck Prather, owner of the historic Birchwood Inn on Beach Drive, bought the Blocker property in late June. He said he bought the home out of a necessity to provide more parking spaces for The Birchwood. It gave him 18 additional parking spaces and storage for his hotel, restaurant and rooftop lounge.
The Blocker place sold for $2 million, though Prather will have to spend quite a bit more on renovations. He says he doesn’t plan to change anything about the historic home.
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“I’m rebuilding exactly what is there. Historic preservation is important to me.”
He said that the first issue he will tackle is ridding the place of termites.
“After that we can begin fixing up the exterior,” Prather said. There is a significant amount of “rot and decay on the front porch, which is such an important part of the home.”
The Blocker Mansion was built at the turn of the 20th century for A.T. Blocker, who was Mayor of St. Pete in 1910. Blocker was a big proponent of waterfront parks during his time as head of the city. The property was also home to the St. Pete Shrine Club when the organization bought it in 1926, and became their clubhouse. After that it was a nursing home, a dance studio a Russian cafe and a wedding reception venue.
It’s a good thing the old mare is off the market and can continue to be a lovely hunk of St. Pete history. Are there any other historic buildings we should keep an eye on, ‘Burgers?
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