Last week it was announced that Historic Kenwood, one of St. Petersburg’s most desirable neighborhoods, was named the 2020 national “Neighborhood of the Year” by Neighborhoods, USA. Historic Kenwood was chosen for this top honor based on winning First Place in the Neighborhood Revitalization/Beautification category, one of three categories in which winners compete for the top honor.

The award is in recognition of Historic Kenwood Neighborhood Association’s Public Arts Initiative. According to their news release, a team of volunteers wrote a master plan, commissioned 16 artist-created signpost finials, produced 26 street banners featuring images of art by members of Historic Kenwood’s Artist Enclave, and recruited hosts for 11 Dining for Art events in 2019 that engaged 184 neighbors and friends and raised $8100.

At the end of the finial project, artists and neighbors hosted 13 engagement activities that reached more than 1,000 people. The City of St. Petersburg supported the projects with a neighborhood grant, which Historic Kenwood neighbors matched with over 1,000 1004 volunteer hours.

Historic Kenwood’s Public Arts Initiative began in 2017 with a vision of creating a “magnet of delight” through public art that would call attention to the artists living in the neighborhood and enrich the experience of residents and visitors alike. One of the additional goals was to bring people together in a shared sense of community through small fundraisers and engagement activities. The first project commissioned artists to transform seven park benches in 2017. The finials and banners were the next step in 2018-2019. Future projects are in the works.

Three cheers to this active, friendly neighborhood association for their hard-work and winning attitude!

Historic Kenwood Craftsman Houses

Craftsman homes were primarily inspired by the work of two architect brothers, Charles Sumner Greene and Henry Mather Greene, who worked together in Pasadena, CA, at the turn of the 20th century.
The Greene brothers were influenced by the English Arts and Crafts movement, a reaction against the Industrial Revolution in an effort to promote the work of craftsmen and the handmade over the machine made, as well as by Oriental wooden architecture. Historic Kenwood has one of the highest concentrations of Craftsman style bungalows in Florida.

Characteristics of a Craftsman home

Tapered columns
Tapered columns, which support the porch roof, are typically short and rest upon massive stone or brick piers that extend to ground level, both of which convey a certain solidity. Not all columns are tapered – another popular variation is the double column.

Low-pitched, gabled roof
The low-slung rooflines reflect the influence of Oriental architecture and typically have a wide, unenclosed eave overhang with decorative supports. Roofs with a low pitch are typically better suited to warmer climates, where snow and ice are not likely to accumulate.

Single dormers
When Craftsman homes have dormers, they tend to be wider and stand out on their own, unlike the pairs of dormers that typically appear in Cape Cod–style cottages. Single dormers are often wide enough for two to three windows.

Front porch
It’s rare to find a Craftsman bungalow that doesn’t have a porch, even if the porch simply covers the entryway. Porches are either full or partial width, and are either sheltered beneath the main roof or under a separate, extended roof.

Partially paned door
One great authenticity test of Craftsman bungalows is how their doors are styled. Almost all original versions have glass panes in the upper third of the door, separated from the bottom paneled portion by a thick piece of trim.

Multi-pane instead of single-pane windows
Like a few other Craftsman details, this window style originated with the Prairie architectural style. The windows are often grouped together and cased in wide trim.

Earthy colors
Craftsman homes are often painted in a nature-inspired palette of browns and greens to help the low-profile bungalows blend seamlessly with their surroundings.

Home Prices & Values

The median home value in Historic Kenwood is $324,978. Historic Kenwood home values have gone up 6.4% over the past year. The median list price per square foot in Historic Kenwood is $283, which is higher than the Saint Petersburg average of $205. The median price of homes currently listed in Historic Kenwood is $370,000.

In June 2020 the housing market in Historic Kenwood is a balanced market, which means there is a healthy balance of buyers and sellers in the market. Homes in Historic Kenwood sell faster than average compared to other neighborhoods in Saint Petersburg. It takes an average of 40 days on market for a home to sell in Historic Kenwood.

Related Reading:
The Arts and Crafts Movement, by Rosalind P. Blakesley
Bungalow Style: Creating Classic Interiors in Your Arts and Crafts Home, by Treena Crochet
https://www.historickenwood.org/

St. Petersburg Communities

If you’re interested in Historic Kenwood or any of these of other communities or live in one of them and are thinking of selling, call Estelia today at 727.686.2859

Allendale Terrace
Bahama Shores
Bayway Isles
Coquina Key
Crescent Heights
Crescent Lake
Downtown
Greater Pinellas Point
Historic Kenwood
Historic Old Northeast
Historic Roser Park
Historic Uptown
Isla del Sol
Old Southeast
Placida Bayou
Snell Isle