His name is synonymous with the first bridge connecting St. Petersburg with Tampa that still carries thousands of passengers daily. However, George S. Gandy should be credited with initiating St. Pete’s reputation as a cultural city. Gandy, a contractor from Philadelphia, arrived in St. Petersburg in 1903 to manage the power plant and trolley line. After partnering on a few projects, Gandy announced the building of the La Plaza Theatre on the corner of 5th Street and Central Avenue. One of the largest structure in the area at the time, Gandy claimed the La Plaza had the largest stage south of Atlanta. It was quickly dubbed “Gandy’s White Elephant” by skeptics who said the tiny city couldn’t support a theater of such size. The La Plaza opened on March 13, 1913 with an operatic performance of Il Trovatore by the Royal Italian Opera Company. They were the first of many major entertainers to perform there. The La Plaza was one of the first commercial structures to offer its patrons air conditioning, enjoying financial success for years.
This historical image of St. Petersburg, and many more, are available in the Museum’s archives. For more information, visit HistoryStPete.org.
