Some History Behind Clearwater's Wall Of Honor

The names written on Clearwater's long lost Wall of Honor likely were unveiled Nov. 11, 1919, Armistice Day, the country's first Veterans Day and within a year they were covered over in plaster and forgotten in time.

While there is no written record, the timeline makes sense, said Jeff Hartzog, director of Ruth Eckerd Hall, during a tour of the Capitol Theatre construction.

Some of the names are of men who enlisted after 1918, and the wall was covered in plaster to make way for the original construction of the Capitol Theatre in 1920, Hartzog said.

“It’s literally everybody that served in World War I was put on this,” Hartzog said.

The wall includes servicemen who were black, with their names painted in green; some are women; and names with a star next to them means the person died in battle.

The wall would not have been discovered if it were not for the construction project.

The nearly 20-foot-tall “Wall of Honor” listing names of Clearwater servicemen and some women during World War I was discovered in April.

Builders will leave what they can intact, but they are still trying to figure out how to create a 12-foot-wide opening to access the other part of the building, Hartzog said.

A portion of it will be saved and a dedication plaque will be added to the site.

The 1914 structure was originally going to be part of the Capitol's renovation. Officials decided the building wasn't sturdy enough for the expansion, so city leaders removed its historic designation in order for it to be destroyed.

The wall was the exterior of the Clearwater Evening Sun newspaper building, which was built in 1914 on the corner of Cleveland Street and Osceola Avenue.

The list of names would have appeared prominently near what was essentially the town square.

Officials would like to have a formal dedication when the theater is reopened in December.