Pass-a-Grille is a small beach neighborhood and former town at the south end of

St. Pete Beach St. Pete Beach (formerly called St. Petersburg Beach) is a coastal city in Pinellas County, Florida, Pinellas County, Florida. Known as a tourist destination, St. Pete Beach was formed from the towns of Pass-a-Grille, Belle Vista, St. Petersburg B ...

Pinellas County, Florida Pinellas County (, ) is a county located on the west central coast of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 959,107. The county is part of the Tampa– St. Petersburg– Clearwater, Florida Metropolitan Statistic ...

. The community includes the

Pass-a-Grille Historic District The Pass-a-Grille Historic District (also known as Old Town of Pass-a-Grille) is a U.S. historic district (designated as such on October 19, 1989) located in the town of Pass-a-Grille at the southern end of St. Pete Beach, Pinellas County, ...

, Gulf Beaches Historical Museum, and Pass-A-Grille Beach. The neighborhood includes restaurants, retailers, and waterfront areas on the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an oceanic basin, ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of ...

as well as the Intracoastal Waterway. It is located on a barrier island.

History

The area around Pass-a-Grille has been inhabited by Native Americans for thousands of years and was first spotted by Spanish explorers in 1528 when

Pánfilo de Narváez Pánfilo de Narváez (; 147?–1528) was a Spanish ''conquistador'' and soldier in the Americas. Born in Spain, he first embarked to Jamaica in 1510 as a soldier. He came to participate in the conquest of Cuba and led an expedition to Camagüey ...

anchored off Pass-a-Grille pass. Local legend states that it was named from the French phrase Passe Aux Grilleurs (the passageway of the grillers) in honor of the fisherman who camped and first settled there. John Gomez was one on the first entrepreneurs to utilize Pass-A-Grille Beach as a vacation area, inviting travelers from St. Petersburg and Tampa to stay at his resort-like structure as early as 1857. Some of the first major businessmen in the area were Roy S. Hanna and Selwyn Morey, who began developing plots of land for homes and lodgings at Pass-A-Grille Beach. By 1901, Frenchman and Travel Agent, George Henri Lizotte, opened the first Pass-A-Grille hotel, named Bonhomie. The first schoolhouse in Pass-a-Grille was constructed in 1914 at the cost of $1,000 and opened its doors to students in the winter of 1915. The Don CeSar hotel opened on the north side of Pass-a-Grille in 1928, spurring more development. Pass-a-Grille was eventually incorporated into the city of

in 1957, and in 1989 Pass-a-Grille was recognized as a National Register Historic District. The neighborhood suffered damage from Tropical Storm Debby in 2012, including beach erosion and a tornado strike.

Recreation

The beach, boutiques, an ice cream shop, outdoor art market, restaurants, tennis courts, and fishing piers are all located within walking distance, concentrated around 8th Street. The Seahorse Grill, open since 1938, operates as a breakfast locale. Other popular restaurants include The Hurricane, The Dewey, Grace, and The Brass Monkey. Pass-a-Grille Park, a municipal park, is also located within the community. Pass-a-Grille Community Church is the only place of worship within the neighborhood's confines.

Gallery

File:St Pete Beach FL Pass-a-Grille HD street02.jpg File:St Pete Beach FL Pass-a-Grille HD GoM02.jpg File:St Pete Beach FL Pass-a-Grille HD Hurricane rest01.jpg File:St Pete Beach FL Pass-a-Grille HD street01.jpg File:St Pete Beach FL Pass-a-Grille HD02a.jpg Pass-a-Grille beach from pier

References

{{authority control Geography of Pinellas County, Florida Neighborhoods in Florida Populated coastal places in Florida on the Gulf of Mexico Former municipalities in Florida