Crystal Beach is one of the original communities in Pinellas County. The first settlers came to the area and began homesteading around 1850. In 1912, land developers Dr. J.D. Hanby and A.D. Powers of the Crystal Beach Development Co. platted the community and laid out a gridded street system. Included in that plat was a park along the Gulf of Mexico. Named Gulf Shore Park, this area was described in marketing materials produced by the company in 1927 as a “narrow strip of land entirely along the west of Gulf Drive from the north end of the drive to the south end of the property.” It is comprised of a shell path and paved portions of Gulf Drive running from Georgia Avenue to Ohio Avenue. Powers and Hanby intended the park land to be forever held as a public amenity, and wrote, “This park is for all the people all the time. It is the front yard of Crystal Beach, and you are always welcome to come and enjoy the sunsets and cooling breezes.” The company clearly believed they were building a special community and saw the Gulf Shore Park as a focal point in preserving access to the beautiful waterfront for everyone, and part of the foundational character of Crystal Beach.
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.