New Public Feature Reveals Historic Stories Behind Cleveland Street Landmarks

The Cleveland Street Alliance has released a new public feature revealing the little-known stories behind three of downtown Clearwater’s most recognizable historic landmarks—bringing to life the history now returning to Cleveland Street as their restorations approach completion.

Presented through a new “Did You Know?” video, the feature explores the stories behind the Telephone Building, Peoples Bank and the F.W. Woolworth Co. Building—three landmarks that once stood at the center of daily life along Cleveland Street and are now being restored as part of the district’s ongoing transformation.

The feature begins in 1900, when Clearwater was a town of just 343 residents, and follows the remarkable rise of Cleveland Street from a quiet frontier crossroads into the commercial and civic heart of the city.

Among the stories highlighted:

• The Telephone Building earned its name for a reason—it served as home to Clearwater’s original telephone exchange, helping connect the growing city during the early years of modern communications.
• Peoples Bank was more than a bank. In addition to its financial role, the building was also home to Clearwater’s first library, making it a center of both commerce and civic life.
• The F.W. Woolworth Co. Building brought one of America’s most famous retail chains to Cleveland Street. At the time, Clearwater was the smallest city in the nation selected for one of Woolworth’s more than 1,000 stores.

While these stories originate in the early decades of Clearwater’s history, the buildings themselves are now nearing completion following extensive restoration efforts. Long-hidden architectural details, historic identities and iconic streetscapes are returning to Cleveland Street—bringing some of downtown Clearwater’s most recognizable landmarks back to life.

The feature combines archival imagery, historic references, animated recreations and present-day restoration footage to make the history of Cleveland Street accessible, visual and engaging for today’s audience.

As restoration work nears completion, these three landmarks represent the first major chapter in the reemergence of historic Cleveland Street—bringing back not only the buildings themselves, but the stories, character and identity that once made the corridor the center of downtown life.

The new feature is available at clevelandstreetalliance.com.