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Local Historic Landmarks |
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The Veillard
House
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This home was relocated in 1979 to save it from demolition for the construction of retirement apartments. Designed in 1901 by Henry H. DuPont for Ralph Veillard the Veillard House combines elements of the bungalow and Queen Anne styles and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. It is a large two-story masonry and balloon frame structure that includes a typical bungalow style, front porch and bell-cast gable roof punctuated by two oversized dormers. The Queen Anne style is reflected in the hexagonal tower topped with a cedar shake roof (now replaced) on the building’s northwest corner. The gable ends are ornamented with half-timbering which is also frequently used on the buildings of the style. Rusticated concrete blocks were used along the building’s first story to suggest stonework. Ralph Veillard, a noteworthy merchant and politician, was born in 1864 in Laval, France but immigrated to North America by 1879 living alternately in Canada, Baltimore, Ocala and, finally, St. Petersburg in 1901. He was very active in civic affairs in the city and was elected to the St. Petersburg City Council in March 1908, to an administration that was opposed to waterfront development. He prepared a resolution approved by the full council stating the City’s intention to purchase the entire waterfront. Afterwards, when the St. Petersburg Waterfront Development Company was formed for the purpose of taking over the waterfront and developing it, an alarmed City Council immediately made arrangements for acquiring the property. Veillard also was instrumental in securing funding from the Carnegie Corporation to secure funds for a new city library and was a member of the delegation representing St. Petersburg that attended a meeting in Clearwater on January 17, 1911 which eventually led to Pinellas County splitting from Hillsborough County. In 1908 Veillard began a three-year term on the St. Petersburg Board of Trade and also served as director of the St. Petersburg Building and Loan Association of which he became president in 1910. He also operated in 1908 what was termed the largest general store in the city. Architect Dupont started his career in Indianapolis where he was secretary and treasurer of the local affiliation of the American Institute of Architects. Having wintered frequently in the city and already prepared designs for buildings such as the Veillard House, Dupont moved to St. Petersburg full time in 1914 to embark on an active career. During World War I Dupont was employed by the government in Key West where he assisted in building an Army air base. In the 1920s, Dupont designed some of St. Petersburg’s larger buildings and many houses. His work was never as prolific as some firms in the area, because he kept a small office with only three or four draftsmen and did all of his own mechanical and electrical design. His most important work in this area was the Don Cesar Hotel on St. Pete Beach in the mid-1920s. After initial plans developer Thomas Rowe fired Dupont because the hotel was "too plain." The project was finished by Carlton Beard and Thomas Rowe. Dupont also designed the Casa de Muchas Flores, built on the water side of Park Street in the "Jungle" area of west St. Petersburg. |
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