We can’t celebrate Independent Bookstore Day without discussing the grandaddy of all independent bookstores in St. Pete: Haslam’s. No, we don’t know when or if Haslam’s will reopen. But we do know that until they closed at the onset of the COVID pandemic, Haslam’s Bookstore was reputed to be Florida’s largest new and used bookstore, and a beloved landmark on Central Avenue. You’ve likely heard the legend that author Jack Kerouac, who lived and died nearby, haunts the store’s stacks, even making sure his titles are facing out. But here are a few things you might not know about what was once the city’s most famous bookstore: 

1. Haslam’s wasn’t always on Central

The bookstore got its start in 1933 over on 7th Avenue North, just off MLK, behind the Sir Walter Building. It was the Depression, so if you couldn’t afford to purchase a book or magazine you could borrow them for a time. Then Haslam’s moved to Central Avenue, right about where the Chihuly Gallery sits today. In 1964 they moved to their final location at 2025 Central Avenue. 

2. The store’s founders were fixtures in St. Pete’s “Open Air Forum”

The store was started by John and Mary Haslam, who, in the 1930s, were fixtures in a unique club called the Open Air Forum which met every day but Sunday at Williams Park. Between 800 – 1,000 people would gather to hear speakers and readings on a limitless array of topics, ranging from the League of Nations to the Origins of Religion and the Wonders of Florida. When listeners got hungry, they could just cross the street to one of the many cafeterias serving the city. Debates often got heated, but the Open Air Forum was entertaining enough that many visitors extended their stays in St. Pete because of this free form of civic engagement. Mary won awards from the Open Air Club for her poetry and both she and John served terms as President and Vice President.

3. The second generation of Haslams to run the store were also missionaries

After World War II, the second generation of Haslams, son Charles and his wife Elizabeth, took over the store. They were part-time missionaries and Charles was proud of the selection of theological books the store carried. Sadly, in 1983 Charles and Elizabeth contracted malaria while on a mission trip to Tanzania. They were admitted to St. Anthony’s Hospital immediately upon their return. Elizabeth recovered, but Charles passed away. Elizabeth remained a fixture in the life of the bookstore for another 24 years, until she died in 2007 at the age of 94.

4. Charles Haslam wrote the most St. Pete book ever

In 1955, Charles Haslam, who later became known as “The Bookman” on a long-running public television program, wrote what may be the most “St. Pete” book ever written: The How To Book of Shuffleboard. The book was in print for several decades. 

5. The Haslam’s bookstore building dates back to 1945

It was originally built for a plumbing business and was a furniture store for many years until the Haslam’s bought it in 1964.

Is there any chance Haslam’s will reopen? The family has been tight-lipped on making any official announcements on the fate of the store, so maybe we can hold onto a sliver of hope that someday its doors will open again. Kerouac’s ghost must be getting lonely.