This post is a little different in that it’s not about a particular wedding. Rather, it’s about a particular wedding venue. Nestled in the middle of a large, beautifully landscaped traffic circle across from the Vinoy Golf and Country Club in St Petersburg’s upscale Snell Isle neighborhood stands the Snell Isle Gazebo and Statuary. Believe it or not, this stunning gazebo, consisting of six ornate decorative concrete pillars topped by “a flourish of Italian wrought iron” and surrounded by a beautifully landscaped garden and statuary, has quite a storied history.A September, 1980 article in St Petersburg's Evening Independent suggests the gazebo was originally gifted to the City of St Petersburg around 1915 by none other than Andrew Carnegie. Other reports suggest the gazebo was commissioned and placed on Snell Isle by infamous St Petersburg developer Percy C. Snell in 1925 (perhaps a more likely story).
The gazebo itself is reportedly “the only known duplicate of a historic Italian gazebo now in the possession of the University of Virginia”. I have been unable to confirm whether the original still exists on the UVA campus.
Whether the gazebo was originally intended for its current home on Snell Isle or for the City’s Mirror Lake Library was a source of some debate in the 1980’s. But sketchy records and anecdotal evidence suggested that the gazebo was originally placed on Snell Isle, then moved to the Mirror Lake Library during the Great Depression between 1931 and 1932. The Snell Isle advocates eventually won out, and the gazebo was returned to its original home on Snell Isle in 1989, as have many other objects de' art that once graced Snell Isle but had ended up in other areas of St Petersburg over the years, at the behest of the Snell Isle Property Owner's Association.
All is well that ends well, and the end result of this tumultuous history is a beautifully landscaped historic oasis in the heart of a beautiful neighborhood – the perfect venue for a St. Petersburg wedding!
Here's one final tip: The St Petersburg Woman's Club has a great reception venue in a historic building within walking distance of the Snell Isle Gazebo!
The Snell Isle Gazebo and Statuary is located at approximately 500 Snell Isle Blvd NE in St Petersburg, and can be reserved through the City of St Petersburg’s Parks Department for a small fee. Contact us for more information!
Jeff Copeland
Simple Weddings by Simple Treasures Photography
St Petersburg FL Beach and Outdoor Wedding Ceremony Packages
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