The old downtown Post Office had been located in the Scranton Arcade, near the offices of the St. Petersburg Times and the Ray Green Drugstore. A new building was erected at the intersection of Cleveland Street and North East Street. The Postmaster General himself, James A. Farley, a confidant of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, traveled to Clearwater in 1933 to attend the gala opening of the new downtown Post Office.

The Mediterranean Revival-style Post Office building, representative of the federal public works programs of the day, remains one of the most striking Clearwater landmarks.

A Haven of Relaxation

CLEARWATER BEACH, BY THE OLD PALM PAVILION: Clearwater possessed never-ending attractions for tourists from all over the country and the world - pristine beaches and a mild winter climate.

Despite the difficult times, Clearwater’s population grew during the Depression. Its citizens’ efforts to keep the city expanding paid off.

The area possessed never-ending attractions for tourists from all over the country and indeed the world—pristine beaches and a mild winter climate. These served as a constant boon to the local economy through the rough years. Vacationers from the north, “snowbirds” as they came to be called, continued to come to Clearwater.

The allure of the area was evident at the 1934 opening of the Carlouel Yacht Club at the north end of Clearwater Beach. The club became a place to enjoy many leisure-time activities.

As Michael Sanders describes it in his book, Clearwater: A Pictorial History: “Carlouel served as a headquarters for yachting, swimming, tennis playing, dancing and other functions.”