A century of spirit: St. Petersburg High School celebrates 100 years

St. Petersburg High School turning 100

St. Petersburg High School was Florida's first million-dollar school, and it's celebrating its one-hundredth anniversary. FOX 13's Kailey Tracy reports.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - For the Ulrich family, flipping through the pages of a St. Petersburg High School yearbook is more than a trip down memory lane. It’s a study of a century-long legacy.

The backstory:

"There are 11 of us that graduated in four generations from St. Pete High," Tricia Ulrich, a class of 1986 alumna, said. 

Her family’s connection spans the entire life of the current campus, from her grandmother teaching there in 1926 to her son’s upcoming graduation in 2026.

Her father, former St. Petersburg Mayor Robert Ulrich, graduated in 1951.

Timeline:

While St. Petersburg High existed in other locations, including a stint near Mirror Lake, it moved to its current home on Fifth Avenue North in 1926. At the time, the location was far from the bustling city center.

Courtesy: Pinellas County Schools

"Where this school was built was nothing but cow pastures and groves," Rui Farias, executive director of the St. Petersburg Museum of History and a former teacher at the school, said. "Legend has it that in the first year, kids used to ride their horses to the school."

By the numbers:

Designed to match the Great Gatsby era elegance of the Vinoy Hotel, the building cost was a then-staggering $1 million. The price tag was so high for the era that Farias notes, "Tallahassee thought we’d lost our mind."

Dig deeper:

The school’s survival wasn't always guaranteed. By the late 1970s, the building had fallen into disrepair, and the county debated whether it was worth saving. 

Bob Pfeiffer, class of 1933, spearheaded the "Give the Devil Its Due" campaign, raising the necessary funds to preserve the structure and secure its spot on the National Register of Historic Places.

More recently, Pinellas County Schools invested almost $44 million in renovations in 2021, restoring the appearance that Robert Ulrich says was missing for many years.

"The renovation was magnificent to tie in with the historical aspect of the school," Farias said.

Big picture view:

Though the days of playing basketball on the auditorium stage are long gone, the Green Devil spirit remains unchanged. 

For the alumni who have walked these halls, the school represents a deep-rooted connection to the St. Petersburg community.

"It's a special school," Tricia Ulrich says, a sentiment echoed by her father, who notes the "great sense of identity with the community" the institution provides.

What's next:

The St. Petersburg High School Centennial Celebration is open to the public this Saturday from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Courtesy: Pinellas County Schools