In the late 1800's, the Orange Belt Railway was the first railroad to come into St. Petersburg. In 1914, Seaboard applied to the City of St. Petersburg to bring their railway into town but was met with heavy opposition by the existing railroad. The City put the measure to a referendum, which the voters of St. Petersburg unanimously passed. The Seaboard Coastline Freight Depot opened on Sept. 13, 1926 and served as a freight depot until 1967.

Upon closing, the Freight Depot was used for a variety of businesses, such as offices, a flea market, feed store, an import and antique business and a warehouse. In 1993, the City of St. Petersburg placed the Depot on the Local Historic Register. The Depot was built in the Masonry Vernacular style of architecture and is one of the last remaining examples of railroad architecture in Pinellas County.

In 2000, the Seaboard Partners LC was formed and purchased the Depot with the purpose of transforming it into the new home of St. Petersburg Clay Company, Inc. Renovations took two years and cost a little over $1,000,000.