Green bench history lives on through Clearwater business

CLEARWATER (FOX 13) - A green bench was once part of St. Petersburg identity for decades.

It was a place to gather, gossip and enjoy a sunny day in the self-proclaimed “Sunshine City.” The mayor at the time, Al Lang, pushed through an ordinance in 1917 making all public benches in the city green. 

They eventually became synonymous with St. Petersburg’s aging population, and in the late 1960s, the city ordered the benches removed. 

However, there’s a man in Clearwater keeping the history alive, and his name is Flash Gordon. He makes replica St. Pete green benches out of high-density polyethylene, which is a hard plastic that comes from recycled milk jugs. His shop is called Green Benches & More.

Green Benches & More
528 South Missouri Avenue
Clearwater, FL 33756
Website