The St. Petersburg Preservation’s (SPP) penultimate “Twilight on the Town" monthly historic summer-evening walking tour is upon us. The guided tour begins tonight, at 7 p.m., in front of the Snell House (507 2nd St. S. — SW corner of 5th Ave S. & 2nd St) and will meander through the hopelessly gorgeous USF St. Petersburg campus, before concluding at the Tavern (Bayboro, 121 6th Ave. S.), an on-campus bar and restaurant constantly ripe with conversation between intellectuals, students, professors and artists alike.
“Good beer, good food and a relaxed social setting,” said Matt Jackson, a soon-to-be adjunct professor finishing up his master’s degree in English, when asked for a quote about how cool the Tavern is.
The tour will be guided by SPP and USF historian and Special Collections librarian, Jim Schnur. Throughout it, participants will have a chance to learn a little more about the 50 year old campus, which started out with 260 freshen students during its inaugural semester, and re-used the old Maritime Service barracks, which stood before the school opened, to teach classes. Mr. Schnur will also talk about — amongst many other interesting topics — major campus expansion, which began in 1978 primarily due to St. Petersburg Times Editor Nelson Poynter, who championed campus expansion and for whom the campus is today named.
Tours are free for SPP members, $5 suggested donation for nonmembers. Reservations welcomed but not required: (727) 824-7802 or info@StPetePreservation.org. The summer walking tours are leisurely strolls lasting about 60 minutes.
When: Tuesday, September 9
Time: 7 p.m.
Where: University of South Florida, St. Petersburg Campus (USF St. Pete); Tour starts in front of the Snell House, 507 2nd St. S. (SW corner of 5th Ave S. & 2nd St) and ends at the Tavern at Bayboro, 121 6th Ave. S.