Do you ever find yourself curious about the landmarks in St. Pete that are mere figments now? So do we. That's why we reached out to the St. Pete Museum of History to provide us with some information about the ghosts of the Sunshine City.

This is the first in a series of pieces detailing the history and character of the Burg. You can't really break the ice of St. Pete's history without first addressing the well-known, occasionally mocked and forever missed green benches.

The Burg's iconic green benches once provided downtown seating for thousands of residents. "Beachfront property super-salesman Noel “Sand Man” Mitchell placed the first benches in front of his office at the corner of Fourth and Central Avenue in 1908. The original street seats weren’t green; most historians say they were orange. But a newspaper article by Mitchell justifying his political views, claimed, “I painted them yellow with black lettering,”' says St. Pete Museum of History Director of Outreach and Education, Nevin Sitler.

For the next 8 years, local business owners copied his initiative and before long the sidewalks of the city were littered with spots to rest your feet. Sitler continues, "in 1916, Mayor Al Lang pushed through an ordinance requiring all benches to be a uniform size and the familiar green color. In 1936 Mitchell, by then a former mayor and frequent center of controversy, was arrested for intoxication while sleeping on one of the benches."

At the peak of their popularity, the benches numbered roughly 2,400 along the streets of downtown. The postcard-ready seating succeeded in attracting tourists but also branded the Burg as “God’s Waiting Room,” notes Sitler.

By the 1960's, most of the benches were gone. This was done in an attempt to change the city's "geriatric" image. 

Sitler quotes the then St. Petersburg Times, “a none too subtle hint to the city’s senior citizens that their welcome was not so durable after all.” 

Decades later, nostalgia has fueled their re-emergence in the city. "The St. Petersburg Museum has several inside and out, there are a few on the 200 block of Central Avenue, and thanks to award-winning Green Bench Brewery, it looks as if they may just be here to stay," says Sitler.

The benches will always be a part of St. Pete's progressive insignia. We know we wouldn't mind an extra bench or two to use on a humid August day. What do you think? Would you like to see the benches return to the Burg? 

*Photos courtesy of St. Pete Museum Of History
**Historian Nevin D. Sitler contributed to this article.