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Tampa is the largest Florida city on the Gulf of Mexico and the third-most populated in Florida. The port is the largest in Florida. Within the city limits are approximately four million residents. When you add St Petersburg, Clearwater, and the four counties in the area, you have more than three million.
How did Tampa come to be, and why? Let’s learn more about the city.
Ancient Florida history.
We need to go back approximately 12,000 years during Florida’s first land boom for the first inhabitants.
Evidence points to America’s first explorers migrating tribes from Asia crossing the Bering land bridge circa 18,000 B.C.
Over the next thousands of years, they migrate south through Central and South America and east.
What About the Dinosaurs?
During the Jurassic and other periods, 66+ million years ago, Florida was still an underwater reef.
Much of the state sits on a bedrock of limestone from seashells, coral, and fish skeletons. The sand and clay on top of the limestone began as part of the Appalachian mountains. Then, many ice ages, erosion, and wind deposit the mud, earth, and quartz sand on top. But not until after the dinosaurs disappear.
The limestone is responsible for the numerous underground springs and sinkholes in the state’s central area.
Many parts of the “peninsula” will return under the sea during numerous global warming periods. When the first Paleo-Indians arrive from Alabama and Georgia circa 10,000 B.C., the planet is in a cooling period. Many geologists believe the gulf coast of Florida was 60 miles further into the Gulf at that time.
The climate was colder, and they have found signs of hardwood forests, woolly mammoths, and saber-toothed tigers from this period.
Less Ancient Florida.
Very few remains (the history) of the early natives remain pre-1000 A.D. However, there have been some clues along Tampa Bay dating back 2000 years.
By 1400, tribes from Alabama and Georgia are living and farming the northern areas of Florida. In the northwest are the Apalachee and Pensacola tribes. The Tocobaga begins in the west-central. They will later end up in the Tampa area. In the northeast are the Timucuans.
By this time, estimates range between 100 and 350 thousand natives in Florida.
The First Inhabitants.
The Tocobaga are living along the rivers feeding Tampa Bay, probably from circa 900 A.D. The waterways are the primary source of navigation for the locals. Unfortunately, evidence of this tribe grows scarce circa 1500.
For the most part, the natives of Florida co-exist in peace. However, that will begin to change circa 1513.
Ponce de Leon.
Who is Ponce? He came from Spain with Christopher Columbus on the second voyage. But not as an explorer; he was a “gentleman Volunteer.”
These are children of the aristocracy who would “volunteer” as soldiers in return for a command. Ponce makes a name for himself, slaughtering the local native Taíno people of San Juan. They make him the first governor of Puerto Rico circa 1509.
When Christopher Columbus’s oldest son Diego knocks him out of that position, Ponce takes the advice of King Ferdinand II. He becomes an explorer. In 1513, he set off with three ships.
He lands somewhere along the eastern coast of Florida on April 2. He names it La Florida.
Eventually, he makes his way to the Tampa Bay area for mapping purposes. However, the Spaniards are focusing their attention on settling Florida’s Atlantic Coast. They leave the central and Gulf Coast areas alone.
Why Can’t We Be Friends?
Some tribes try for coexistence, but they are few and do not speak Spanish.
There are stories about the Spanish finding Europeans, usually from shipwrecks, living with the local natives. Circa 1539, Hernando de Soto discovers Juan Ortiz living with the Tocobagan’s near Tampa. Chief Ucita’s daughter takes a shine to him and pleads for his life. This love story is almost 70 years before Pocahontas lays eyes on John Smith.
The Spanish and later French and English explorers come ashore, killing anyone who questions them. Why are the locals so wary? It is incredible how many innocent shipwreck victims and missionaries do survive.
Attacks From the North
Governor Moore of the British colony of South Carolina leads attacks (circa 1702) to gain more land for England. They take the local natives to be slaves in place of the African runaways Florida is harboring.
The British create two colonies. East Florida, with its capital in St. Augustine, stretches from the Atlantic to the Apalachicola River. West Florida, governing from Pensacola, includes the panhandle and southern Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.
Into this mix comes a new tribe of natives, a mishmash of several tribes. They call them the Seminoles. They will eventually push south as far as the Alachua region (Gainesville).
By 1781, Spain can recapture West Florida from the spread-out British. When the American Revolution ends two years later, England will give East Florida to Spain in exchange for Gibraltar.
For the most part, this is all taking place in the panhandle and northern Florida, north of Gainesville.
The Tampa Bay area is still wilderness.
The Florida Republics.
The British do not come across much pushback from the Spanish as they drift south into Florida.
Circa 1803, the U.S. annexes Florida’s panhandle as part of the Mississippi Territory. Spain continues to dispute the area, but the United States gradually occupies the space.
The Seminoles were raiding Georgia settlements, and the Spanish were still providing sanctuary to runaway slaves. The United States Army began leading strikes into Spanish territory, leading up to the 1817 campaign by Andrew Jackson, the First Seminole War.
Spain tires of defending its colony that is not producing a profit. Ceding Florida to the United States for five million dollars, it became a U.S. territory in 1821.
American settlers finally arrive in the Tampa Bay area circa1824. Within months, the U.S. Army establishes Fort Brooke to protect the strategic harbor.
The Florida Territory.
Many free blacks, Indian slaves, and Spanish flee to Havana to avoid coming under U.S. control.
Large groups of Black Seminoles and fugitive slaves along the east coast escape to Andros Island in the Bahamas.
The Seminoles continue to assist runaway slaves and clash with the new settlers.
Circa 1832, the government offers the Seminoles land west of the Mississippi River to leave Florida voluntarily. Over the next three years, many Seminoles move west. Then the U.S. Army arrives to deal with the ones who do not go.
And we have the Second Seminole War, beginning when Seminoles ambush Army troops marching to reinforce Fort King (Ocala).
The war will continue for seven years, with the Seminoles using guerilla tactics against the regimented Army.
The U.S. Army arrest Osceola, a Seminole war leader, while negotiating under a white truce flag in late 1837. He will die of malaria in jail, making him a martyr for the natives. Within five years, the remaining Seminoles surrender. The Army forcibly exiles them to Creek lands in the west. Some escape and go into the Everglades.
East Meets West.
Circa 1836, David Levy Yulee joins the Florida Territory’s Legislative Council. He owns a sugar cane plantation near Fernandina, just north of Jacksonville. He begins to secure federal and state land grants to fund a railroad connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf. Citing the danger of ships passing through the Florida Keys and saving three days’ passage convinces the government. The fact that Yulee stands to make a fortune does not come up.
By 1858, using slave and Irish immigrant labor, construction begins at Fernandina’s deepwater port on the Atlantic side. The Gulf terminus is Cedar Key, with deeper water than Tampa Bay and closer to New Orleans port. The first train arrives in Cedar Key in 1861, a few weeks before Florida secedes from the Union.
Just months later, Union ships destroy the ports of Cedar Key and Fernandina, cutting an important Confederate supply route.
The 27th state.
On March 3, 1845, Florida became the 27th state, a few months before Texas.
A majority of the population of the new state lives in north-central Florida. Of this, close to half are African American slaves working the substantial cotton and sugar plantations.
Circa 1850, before transferring federal land to the state, the federal government tries to convince the remaining Seminoles to move. The Army reactivates Fort Harvie, naming it Fort Meyers.
The Everglade Seminoles, sensing hostilities, attack Fort Meyers starting The Third Seminole War. By 1858, most of the Seminole men are dead, and the government moves the surviving women and children.
Civil Unrest 1861.
With the smallest population of the Southern states, Florida is the third state to secede from the Union after the election of Abraham Lincoln.
The state’s remote location and meager industry lower its strategic importance. As a result, the battles in Florida are more small skirmishes for parcels of land rather than significant military actions.
By the spring of 1865, the war is over.
Restoration,
At the end of the war, Tampa is a poor fishing village with fewer than 1000 residents and little industry.
Residents begin to leave. Almost yearly episodes of Yellow fever kill many people. Those who can leave. Circa 1870, the population is less than 800 residents, and they vote to abolish the city of Tampa government. The government decommissions Fort Brooke circa 1883, removing more jobs. Today, all traces of the fort are gone.
As soon as Federal Troops leave the state, Democrats engage in voter suppression and intimidation. They regain control of the state legislature.
Part of their success is due to the Ku Klux Klan, a white supremacist hate group. Their goal is to overthrow Republican state governments in the south. They use voter intimidation and violence to achieve this.
Their primary targets are African Americans, Jews, immigrants, homosexuals, and Catholics.
Florida Klansmen expand their targets to include union organizers, particularly the citrus industry between Orlando and Tampa.
In Tampa circa 1937, they flog and castratelabor organizer Joseph Shoemaker before adding hot tar and feathers. Then, for some reason, Shoemaker dies from his injuries.
Things are bleak in Tampa.
Until the early 1900s, most Floridians are still living within 50 miles of the Georgia border. To the south are cattle ranches and wilderness.
After the war, another railroad buys up the bankrupt Florida Railroad between Cedar Key and Fernandina. Soon Cedar Key is the essential port north of Key West.
During an 1883 visit to St Augustine, Henry Flagler finds it to be very inviting. However getting there, and decent accommodations are problems.
Two years later, he retires from Standard Oil’s day-to-day running. Instead, he begins buying up regional railroads reaching south from Jacksonville. His first job is to move them all to a standard rail gauge.
By January of 1888, his trains reach St Augustine. Then, a year later, Daytona.
A Plant Comes to Tampa.
Another Henry, also a northern transplant living in Jacksonville circa 1854, sees the potential of Florida.
As the president of an express company, Henry Plant’s knowledge of trains and steamboats is substantial. So, like Flagler, he begins buying up defunct railroads south and west from Jacksonville.
Legend says when he cannot buy into the railroad running to Cedar Key, he connects his railroads to Tampa. Then, he vows to wipe Cedar Key off the map. But, as Tampa Bay was able to handle more traffic, this is probably just a story.
Plant’s railroad arrives at Tampa Bay circa 1884. The city will not receive its charter for three more years.
By 1886, The Plant Steamship Company obtains the U.S. mail contract for Key West and Havana. It begins running trips from Tampa to Key West and Havana. Later it will add other gulf ports. Flagler’s train will not arrive in Key West until 1912 and will last a short time.
A Palace.
His crowning achievement, the Tampa Bay Hotel, opens for the winter season. The enormous hotel, looking like a Moorish palace, costs over $3,000,000 and sits on 150 acres adjacent to downtown Tampa. It was the first in Florida to have electric lights, an elevator, and a telephone in each room. The hotel now houses a university and the Henry B. Plant Museum.
A few years later, he builds the large, Victorian-style hotel Belleview-Biltmore near Clearwater, Florida. The grande hotel, initially with a railroad spur, will operate until 2009.
Unfortunately, only a small portion of the west wing remains today as a boutique hotel.
By 1892, he owns fourteen railway companies and more than 2,000 miles of track. He also has several steamship lines and buys or builds numerous hotels.
He organizes all these companies into the Plant Investment Company.
Later, Plant buys additional railroads in Georgia for moving Florida oranges to northern markets.
The Florida routes reach from Daytona to Tampa and from Fort Meyers to the middle of Georgia.
In 1899, he died of a heart attack at his mansion on New York’s Fifth Avenue. It is now the home of Cartier Jewelers.
With railroads reaching north, and steamships to the Caribbean and Central America, Tampa becomes a gateway.
Vicente Martinez Ybor.
The Ybor story begins in Valencia, Spain. Circa 1832, fourteen-year-old Martinez moves to Cuba to avoid mandatory military service. Here, he learns about making cigars.
By 1856, he starts his first cigar manufacturing company in Havana. His El Principe de Gales brand quickly becomes popular. The 1868 Ten Years’ War splits Cubans and their Spanish colonial rule. Martinez provides funding and assistance to the Cuban rebels. When the Spanish learn of this circa1869, Martinez plans a last-minute trip to Key West, Florida.
In Key West, he is soon producing his Principe de Gales brand. He employs other Cubans who make a last-minute vacation to Key West. He can get Cuban tobacco and uses Cuban workers, creating a 98% Cuban cigar. There are a few non-Cubans also working. However, it is a U.S. product, meaning it avoids the high import fees of cigars from Cuba. They call these “Cuban clear” cigars as they are clear of import fees—the business booms.
And with any company that grows quickly, soon there are problems. Labor unrest breaks out between the Spanish and Cuban workers. There are no roads to Key West, so shipping (and receiving) become nightmares.
He looks at Galveston, Texas. At that time, she is the Queen of the Gulf. Almost eighty steamship companies have offices, predominantly dealing with the export of cotton. He has ideas for those cotton ships sailing back from Cuba empty.
A Turn to the East.
Legend says that Ybor’s friend Gavino Gutierrez, acting as city engineer, recommends Tampa. Ybor visits the town circa 1885 and likes what he sees. The price of land is much lower than Galveston. The weather is hot and humid, which helps keep cut tobacco workable. Henry Plant’s railroad and steamships offer a seamless transportation network. Knowing Plant, he and Ybor will meet before Ybor returns to Key West on one of Plant’s steamers. Tampa’s Board of Trade helps Martinez purchase 40 acres of then scrubland northeast of the port to sweeten the pot.
Another Spaniard.
Arriving in New York City circa 1867 from Escalante in Spain is Sanchez Y Haya. He begins the Sanchez y Haya Cigar Co. and meets his business partner, Serafin Sanchez, from Villaviciosa, Spain. Sanchez, already successful by 1885, is a friendly rival of Ybor. So when Martinez begins buying up land near Tampa, Sanchez does as well. He opens the small Sanchez Y Haya Cigar Factory before Ybor opens his large factory.
After meeting with the Tampa Trade Development and Exchange Commission, he sets up the Sanchez and Haya Real Estate Company. He continues to buy land and build housing for workers. With help from the city, he is bringing the tobacco industry to Tampa.
Sanchez has a business mind. He understands how important advertising is. He is one of the first cigar producers to use cigar boxes for packaging. On these boxes, he features celebrities and historical figures such as William Shakespeare. Soon he has a large share of the market.
A City Within the City.
Martinez Ybor and business partner Eduardo Manrara hire his buddy Gavino Gutierrez to design a company town, Ybor City. Ybor and Manrara also create the Ybor City Land and Improvement Company. They will be responsible for separate water, fire, police, and sanitary departments. They also install a small train for employees to ride to work.
Circa 1886, Ybor builds a brick factory that is the world’s largest cigar manufacturing facility.
The town continues to grow, adding a post office, hospital, and cottages the workers can purchase. In addition, Ybor’s original wooden building will become the first home of El Centro Español de Tampa, a mutual aid society and social club.
By 1894, Eduardo Manrara organizes the Ybor City Building and Loan Association to help workers buy his other company’s cottages. It meets with remarkable success. In the same year, he helps fund and become president of the Exchange National Bank of Tampa.
The Italian Connection.
The first “wave” of Italians come to Florida circa 1768 to help build the colony of New Smyrna. After the devastating 1848 hurricane levels Tampa, many move to Tampa to help with the rebuilding. Many stay, including the Leonardi, Maestri (Masters), Ghira, and other families.
Then Sicilians, working in the cane fields near Orlando, hear about better-paying jobs in a new cigar factory near Tampa. So they begin moving to Tampa, where, without cigar-making skills, they often get custodial or other low-paying positions. At the same time, Mr. Plant is looking for workers to build his railroad and build his hotels. He was paying more than a dollar per day. More Sicilians arrive, and they write home to say America’s streets are gold. Whole villages in Sicily move to Tampa to partake in the fortune.
Many Italians would eventually rise in the cigar industry, even to ownership. After that, the Italian community would branch into fishing, dairy and produce markets, pasta factories, and more. Unfortunately, there is not an Italian neighborhood like you find in the northeast. However, you can still find Italian markets, bakeries, cafes, and more with a car.
West Tampa.
Looking to cash in on the cigar business, attorney Hugh Macfarlane, a Scottish immigrant, buys 200 acres across the River. After building a bridge in 1894, his community begins to grow with a few small cigar factories. At first, the neighborhood is predominantly Cuban immigrants. Eventually, Italians and Spaniards, many from Ybor City, begin to move in. Finally, at the peak of the cigar business, West Tampa will have some of the largest factories.
Beyond Cigars.
Eduardo Manrara becomes a patron of the city of Tampa. He brings the city into the gas-light era by funding, then presiding over the Tampa Gas Company. By 1896, he opens the first brewery in Florida. Today, the building on Fifth Avenue near Thirteenth Street serves as a leaf tobacco warehouse. In 1901, he will drive the first “horseless carriage” in Tampa.
By 1899, a consolidation of cigar factories in Chicago, Key West, New York, New Orleans, and Tampa become the Havana-American Company. They elect Manrara as the first Vice President of the company. The plan is to consolidate the clear Havana cigar factories.
Then the American Tobacco Company, the largest producer of cigarettes in the U.S., enters the cigar business, and everything changes. First, the Havana-American Co. sells controlling interest to A.T.C’s American Cigar Company subsidiary.
In the late 1880s, they discover phosphates in the Tampa area. Mining, and the shipping it requires, give Tampa another boost to their economy. At its height, Florida will have 27 phosphate mines. Unfortunately, due to the pollution and red algae tides it creates, only 9 of those are still in operation.
1898, and the U.S. warship Maine explodes in Havana Harbor. This sets off the Spanish-American War. Tampa will become the primary outfitting and embarkation port for 30,000 U.S. troops, including Theodore Roosevelt and his Rough Riders.
Tampa in the 1900s.
By the early 1900s, Ybor is a community of Cuban, Spanish, Italian, and Jewish culture. There are friendly rivalries, but on the whole, people got along. Only the Afro-Cubans were kept from “joining” any groups. This came from the state’s Jim Crow laws more than from the local level.
In the early 1900s, illegal “bolita” lotteries began popping up among the Tampa working classes. By the early 1920s, Charlie Wall organizes it and takes it big time. By bribing key local politicians and police officials, it thrives. Come the time of prohibition, and there are several organized crime “families” in Tampa. In the 1930s, Santo Trafficante Sr will consolidate the families into one large syndicate. His son will take over in the 1950s and grow it into an international crime syndicate.
By Water.
Circa 1907, the first Gasparilla Pirate Festival, takes place. Over the next 100 years, it will become one of the largest parades in the United States. The “season” now stretches from mid-January to mid-March, a cross between Mardi Gras and a pirate invasion. The last Saturday in January, Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla sails their pirate ship into downtown Tampa. There they hold the mayor at sword point for the Key to the City. They then parade through the city. So who or what is Gasparilla? He is the mythical pirate José Gaspar, a popular figure from Florida folklore.
By Air.
Only 10 years after the Wright Brothers 1904 flight at Kitty Hawk, Percival Fansler begins the first scheduled commercial airline. The St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line flies between Tampa and St Petersburg, 22 miles away. At a cruising altitude of 5 feet, the flight takes 23 minutes instead of two hours by boat. The plane is a biplane (two sets of wings) that holds one pilot and one passenger. Despite the cost of $5 ($130 in today’s dollars), they fly over 1200 guests. Unfortunately, it requires the city’s subsidy, which runs out after three months.
All Roads Lead To.
A year later, the construction of the first north-south paved highway takes place between 1915 and 1927. A project of Carl G. Fisher, the Dixie Highway stretches from the Canadian border to Miami. Although not a direct benefit to Tampa, it brings more people to Florida, causing it to grow.
By 1926, U.S. 41 is open from Michigan, south along the west coast of Florida as far as Naples. This allows Tampa to take part in the Florida land boom of the mid-1920s.
If You Build It…
D. P. Davis, a Tampa developer, dredges two mud islands near the entrance of the Hillsborough River. He names it Davis Islands and adds three hotels, yacht and tennis clubs, a golf course, and more. On a third island, he builds an airport. Other successful communities from this time include the golfing community of Temple Terrace and Beach Park. In addition, St. Petersburg will develop Snell Island, their version of Davis Islands.
The state will go on to build State Route 94 circa 1926 connecting Miami to Naples and Tampa. Although they are separate route numbers until 1949, they call it the Tampa Miami Trail (Tamiami.)
The U.S. Air Force begins as a separate department in 1947. With the fear of another World War, The U.S. Government builds MacDill AFB in Tampa. Today, the base handles all operations involving the Caribbean, Central, and South America. It is the second-largest employer in the Tampa area.
Circa 1957, Interstate 75 will parallel U.S. 41, bringing larger amounts of cars to the Tampa area.
Prohibition
A few counties in northern Florida were able to enforce it. In central and southern Florida, it was an epic fail. However, it makes many criminals rich.
The Everglades and barrier islands are full of stills. The Bahamas, 60 miles to the east, becomes a funnel for rum runners. Boats are leaving Cuba almost nightly, bringing rum into Tampa.
With hundreds of miles of shoreline, there is no way to patrol it all.
Hotels need to keep thirsty tourists happy. So they build secret dining rooms and lounges where guests can drink discreetly.
Bribes and booze flow freely.
The Bottom Drops Out
Florida’s economy freefalls in 1926 when money and credit run out. Banks stop lending, and the real estate market tanks. A severe hurricane in 1926 and another one two years later batter the state and the economy.
By the time the Great Depression begins in the nation, Florida is already at the bottom. Or is it?
A 1929 Mediterranean fruit fly infestation destroys 60% of the citrus industry.
People can no longer afford luxuries. Cigars are at the top of that list. Many factories close. Those that can afford to put in machines that make lower quality (cheaper) cigars.
By 1931, Florida legalizes parimutuel gambling to try and stimulate the economy.
The U.S. economy finally starts to rebound in 1934 after the repeal of prohibition. Coincidence? But Florida, first to the depression party, rallies very slowly.
Some good during the 1930s takes place in 1937. First, they repeal the Florida poll tax allowing poor African-American and whites to vote.
In 1944 the U.S. Supreme Court will back this up by outlawing all-white primary elections.
Tampa and World War II.
With the fear of another World War, The U.S. Government builds MacDill AFB in Tampa. Today, the base handles all operations involving the Caribbean, Central, and South America. It is the second-largest employer in the Tampa area.
Post-war, soldiers are returning from the war, and there is a new sense of hope.
Unfortunately, the Klan raises its ugly head again. Their national leader dies circa 1949, and each state splinters off into separate groups.
The Florida klan proliferates, especially in Orange (Orlando) County, where its ranks include elected officials and law enforcement officers.
By 1951, the NAACP branches are challenging Jim Crow ordinances over the use of public spaces. The Florida legislature passes a no-mask policy. The Klan strikes back with cross burnings and declares war on the NAACP, B’nai B’rith, Catholics, and other religious groups. They also start using sticks of dynamite to intimidate people. The press dubbs the klan “The Florida Terror.”
The 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision by the U.S. Supreme Court sends them into new tantrums.
While the Klan is fuming, others are chilling.
Willis Carrier’s invention from the 1920s is finally more available and affordable. Air conditioning makes Florida, and all of the south, more inviting. Add the low cost of living, and Florida becomes alluring.
Land speculators are making a fortune on people from the Northeast and the Rust Belt looking for paradise.
The Cuban Revolution.
Ybor City is a National Historic Landmark, with several buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. Downtown is a modern area with a few jewels here and there. It has numerous museums and a multiuse waterfront.
For architecture lovers, there is Seminole heights north of town for early 20th-century bungalow homes. In addition, Davis Islands has numerous Mediterranean Revival Style Buildings structures.
Golfers can try their skills on the Babe Zaharias Golf Course in Forest Hills north of downtown. It is now a public course and on the National Register of Historic Places.
The beaches of Clearwater are at least 40 minutes drive away and longer if there is traffic. Unfortunately, there is almost always traffic. Closer to Tampa are Sunset and Ben T. Davis Beaches. For a half-day of sun and fun, they are perfect. For the gulf beaches, plan on a full day, including transportation.
What is in Tampa for me?
See and Hear.
You can walk along the River Walk or discover Ybor City. Listen to local life happening all around you.
Taste & Smell.
It would be unusual to visit Tampa and not try the cuisine. There’s plenty of down south comfort food, BBQ, and fried food. But Tampa also has great Italian, Cuban, and other cuisines. With the Gulf at its door, expect fresh seafood as well.
Although not “officially” on the coast, Tampa has a lot of waterfronts. Therefore, a table with a water view is not uncommon.
Feel.
There is an energy about Tampa. Is it the eclectic mix of old and new? The young and old that act young? Come find out for yourself.
Try a tropical drink at a pool or bayside tiki bar. Explore historic neighborhoods, shop, or taste numerous cuisines.
There may be better ways to spend a Florida day, but this one doesn’t suck.
Should See in Tampa.
There are 78 properties in the Tampa area that appear on the National Register of Historic Places. (N.R.O.H.P) Nine of these are actually districts.
Some of the highlights will appear below. For a full list, see the National Register of Historic Places.
Downtown.
Tampa Riverwalk.
This 2.6-mile pedestrian walkway along the Hillsborough River has open spaces and parks.
Cross Bay Ferry to St Petersburg.
Departing from the riverwalk behind the convention center, this approximate 50-minute ride will take you to St Pete. Running from November to April it is a great way to see Tampa from another angle. Boats run late afternoon to late evening Wednesday thru Sunday. There are morning departures on weekends as well. This is not a tour but a scenic ferry ride.
Pirate Water Taxi.
This water shuttle makes stops at several places along the river. Running from noon until mid-evening, the boat is a fun way to get around. You can buy one-way or all-day passes.
Tampa Bay History Center.
The History Center is a museum for kids of all ages. It covers over 12,000 years of local history, from the Tocobaga Indians, conquistadors, pirates, and more. It is on the River Walk.
Sparkman Wharf.
East of the History Center, on Channelside Drive, is this two-story retail space with many dining options.
Port Tampa Bay Cruise Terminal – 2.
Next to Sparkman Wharf is the main cruise pier for Tampa. Cruise ships from various cruise lines sail from here weekly.
The Florida Aquarium.
This non-profit organization teaches conservation and educates through exhibits and experiences. There are more than 20,000 sea creatures to see and touch tanks to get up close with some.
American Victory Ship and Museum.
Behind the aquarium is this non-profit organization and one of only four operating Victory Ships left in America. With a National Register of Historic Places listing, the ship tells the history of the American Merchant Fleet since 1775. Usually, in the spring and fall, they offer 2 “Relive History” Cruises.
TECO Line Streetcar System.
Streetcars were an important part of Tampa from 1892 to 1946, when people began buying automobiles. The streetcars in Tampa began service again in 2003 with replicas of the original cars. Car #163, The Birney is the only original car on the system. The Streetcars run from E.Whiting street downtown to E. 8th Avenue and 20th street in Ybor City. They also pass along Channelside Drive’s entertainment venues.
Walking west and north along the river walk from the Convention Center is also interesting.
Lafayette Street Bridge (Kennedy.)
The second bridge you will pass under walking from the Convention Center north on the River Walk dates from 1913. Originally taking the name of General Lafayette, it is now Kennedy Bridge after the 35th president.
The Florida Museum of Photographic Arts.
A 15-minute walk along the riverwalk brings you to this interesting museum. Everything about photography, from workshops to galleries and exhibits: also, take a look at the interior space.
Tampa Museum of Art.
Also, in the Waterfront Arts District, it is across a green area from the photographic museum. Their collection ranges from Greek, Roman, and Etruscan but focuses on contemporary and modern art.
Glazer Children’s Museum.
Adjacent to the art museum is this hands-on museum. Children can try a variety of identities (what do you want to be when…)
Old Steel Railroad Bridge.
Just west of the museums is this historic steel bridge. Dating from 1913, it replaces Henry Plant’s first bridge from 1885. It is still in use today, linking the original port area at Port Tampa City.
Florida Avenue.
Tampa City Hall.
At the corner of N. Florida Avenue and East Kennedy Blvd. is this classical “layer cake” building on the National Register of Historic Places. Dating from 1915, it still has many original components intact. “Hortense the Beautiful” is the name of the four-faced clock in the bell tower.
Sacred Heart Catholic Church.
Two blocks north of city hall is this Jesuit church dating from 1898. It sits on an earlier Catholic chapel from 1859. It became a Franciscan church in 2005. The 75 stained glass windows are original and from Germany.
Tampa U.S. Courthouse.
Dating from 1905, the Old Federal Courthouse is a Beaux Arts-style building across from the church. It will also serve as a United States Post Office, courthouse, and custom house. Today, this building on the National Register of Historic Places is a Le Meridien Hotel.
Floridan Hotel.
Three blocks further north is this N.R.O.H.P. property dating from 1927. In its heyday, it was the place to stay downtown. As urban decay spreads through the downtown area in the 1960s, the hotel closes by 1966. It will be a transient hotel for another 20 years. After a major renovation, the hotel opens again circa 2012.
Tampa Theatre and Office Building.
A block west of the Le Meridien on Franklin St is this movie palace from 1926. This N.R.O.H.P is now a non-profit organization, hosting first-run and classic films, special events, concerts, and more. They also offer tours.
St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church.
Dating from 1904, this Mediterranean Revival-style building is also on the N.R.O.H.P. One block south and east of Sacred Heart, the church also owns the building to the north. Beginning as the Western Union building in 1929, it has some interesting Art Deco detail.
Masonic Temple No. 25.
A block south and east of the Episcopal church is this 1929 brick structure on E. Kennedy. A better view of the building is around the corner on Morgan. Still active, it is the oldest Freemason’s Lodge in Florida.
Tampa Firefighters Museum.
Dating from 1911, the historic structure is the original main headquarters for the Tampa Fire Department. This is when horses are pulling the equipment. The museum covers the Tampa fire department’s history from those early days. The museum is at the corner of N. Jefferson and E. Zack St.
Jackson Rooming House.
Three blocks east of the museum on Zack St is this N.R.O.H.P. dating from 1901. It is one of the only places in Tampa where black travelers could find lodging. Its guest list includes Cab Calloway, Count Basie, James Brown, Ella Fitzgerald, and Ray Charles. In addition, it is the last free-standing residential dwelling in downtown Tampa. As of 2021, the property is in extensive need of T.L.C. Shame. The 1912 Old Union Depot Hotel, while a N.R.O.H.P member, is no longer standing across the street.
Tampa Union Station.
Across the street from the rooming house and the missing hotel is the 1912 train station. The idea was a single station for the three different railroads servicing Tampa. It would have 8 platforms. After an extensive restoration, the station reopens in 1998 for Amtrak service. It is at the end of a branch line from Lakeland, Florida, where it joins the Orlando to Miami mainline. The station’s future looks good as the highspeed rail Brightline plans to use the station as part of its terminal. Projections currently say in 2024.
North Franklin Street Historic District.
North of E. Harrison Street is another historic district. Although some consider all of Franklin Street north of Whiting St as part of the neighborhood. Unfortunately, it is a victim of Urban renewal, although a few historical sites remain.
Tampa Postcard Mural.
One of many instagrammable murals throughout the city, this one looks like an old-time postcard from Tampa. Two blocks north of the Floridan Hotel on N Florida Avenue.
Oaklawn and St. Louis Cemeteries Historic District.
Two blocks east of the postcard mural is this historic district. Beginning in 1850, the Oaklawn Cemetary is for rich and poor, whites and slaves alike. For historians, you may find the markers for many of Tampa’s founding fathers and other officers. Soldier graves date back to the Second Seminole War. St Louis Catholic Cemetery is to the north and began as a separate cemetery. Circa 1955, the city removes the boundary fence between them.
You could easily spend a day just discovering downtown Tampa. So plan a few days as there is still much more to see.
Ybor (EE-bore) City Historic District.
Northeast of downtown, this historic district has a lot to offer. Today it is also an entertainment district.
Starting at the parking garage in the northwest corner near E.Ninth and N. Thirteenth Street.
El Pasaje, Cherokee Club.
One block east on Ninth Avenue is this red brick structure from 1886. It serves as the offices for Vicente Martinez Ybor’s companies. He will plan Ybor City here and later use it as the offices for his cigar factory and other businesses. Later, it will house a hotel, several restaurants, bars, a speakeasy during Prohibition, and more.
The Ybor Factory Building.
At the same time, Ybor builds his factory across the street. It is the first brick cigar factory in Tampa and, at the time, the largest cigar factory in the world. Today it is owned by the Church of Scientology.
El Circulo Cubano de Tampa.
Behind the Cherokee Club, The Cuban Club dates from 1917 as a gathering place for Cuban immigrants. At some point, the club will include a theater, bowling alley, pharmacy, ballroom, library, and more.
Centro Ybor Museum.
The museum resides in the former 1923 Ferlita Bakery, the Mediterranean-style garden, and the “casita,” a recreated cigar worker’s house. It is not open daily, so click the link to check their website.
Ybor City’s 7th Avenue.
El Liceo Cubano.
Dating from 1886, this red brick building at 13th St. begins as a tobacco stripping house. It becomes a Cuban social center and the meeting place for the secret order of the Cabelleros de la Luzban. Jose Marti delivers his two 1891 speeches here that become the platform for the United Cuban Revolutionary Party.
Columbia Restaurant and Museum.
Dating from 1905, this family-owned restaurant is now on the fifth generation of family members. It is Florida’s oldest restaurant. The original small cafe could hold no more than 60 guests. It was popular with the cigar workers wanting authentic Cuban coffee and sandwiches like home. Today, the restaurant has 15 dining rooms, a large catering department, and several locations. It still serves recipes from the original restaurant. If you get nothing but a Cuban Sandwich, eating here should be a requirement when visiting Ybor City.
L’Unione Italiana (Italian Club.)
Just west of the Columbia is this 1918 Italian Community Center building. From its opening, it acts as a mutual aid society (think H.M.O.) and center of social, cultural, and educational functions. Today, it still offers many of these functions.
Just Outside Ybor City.
La Union Marti-Maceo.
This historical social club dates from 1904. Afro-Cubans create it at a time when Jim Crow laws will not allow them in other clubs. Today it is a special event venue.
J.C. Newman Cigar Company.
Four blocks north of Ybor is the oldest family-owned premium cigar maker in America, dating from 1895. Inside the building, which is only a few years younger, they still hand-roll cigars.
Vicente Guerra Cigar Company.
Two blocks north, Newman Cigar Company is the remains of this1899 factory. Beginning with Vicente Guerra, it would produce cigars under several names, the last being V. Guerrieri in the 1970s. A 2015 fire destroys the interiors and roof. As of 2021, the brick exterior is still there.
Ferlita Macaroni Company Building.
Circa 1925, Sicilian Giuseppe Rosario Ferlita opens the Ferlita Macaroni Co. on N. 22nd Street. At first, it is the home and factory of this immigrant from Santo Stefano Quisquina, Sicily. Then, in 1936, they move the factory to a larger location on Union St. Today, it is home to a Sicilian restaurant.
Corina Cigar Factory.
On S. 22nd street, In the Palmetto Beach Historic District, south of Ybor, is this wonderful three-story structure. Dating from 1893 as the Vicente Guerra Cigar company, by 1910, the Jose Escalante and Company were making Corina cigars. Currently, it is a private office space.
Centro Asturiano de Tampa.
This Beaux-Arts Classicism treat is three blocks west of the Ybor parking garage, at Nebraska Ave. and E. Palm Ave.. Dating from1902, it was first a clubhouse for the Asturian Spaniards when they split from the Centro Espanol. The facilities include a 1200-seat theater, ballroom, and dining room. Today it is a special events facility. Drive-by coming or going to Ybor City.
Davis Islands.
Southwest of downtown, this island neighborhood is a wishbook for home lovers.
Villa de Leon Apartments (Spanish)
Dating from 1925, this iconic apartment building was part of D.P. Davis’s vision. Consisting of 22 units, the building was recently a boutique hotel.
Palace of Florence Apartments.
Dating from 1925. this Mediterranean Revival architecture gives this apartment building the air of an Italian palazzo. The four-story battlement tower is loosely based on Florence, Italy’s Palazzo Vecchio.
Palmerin Hotel.
Dating from 1926, this Moorish-themed hotel is one of the first on the island. Today, it acts as an assisted living facility.
Bay Isle Commercial Building.
Also dating from 1926, it is one of the original commercial spaces for the island. Today it goes by Bay Islands Plaza.
All of these buildings are on the N.R.O.H.P., and you can find them on E. Davis Blvd.
North of Tampa.
Tampa Heights Historic District.
North of the North Franklin Street Historic District (and I-275) is this district with more than 280 historic buildings. In addition, there are numerous bungalow houses. Many of the old buildings are now new coffee shops, breweries, and restaurants.
Episcopal House of Prayer.
The St. James House of Prayer Episcopal Church dates from 1922. The Gothic Revival church has a rubble stone exterior.
Seminole Heights Residential District.
This area is predominantly private homes, many in Gothic Revival and American Craftsman bungalows.
Seminole Heights United Methodist Church.
This Gothic Revival church dates from 1924.
William E Curtis House.
Dating from 1906, this Dutch Colonial Revival is one of the first residential structures in Seminole Heights. Curtis, a nurseryman, will be responsible for developing much of Seminole Heights.
Captain William Parker Jackson House.
This farmhouse from 1870 is on the N.R.O.H.P. Many believe it is one of the first homes in the Tampa “wilderness” to have an Anglo-American family. The house is on Lambright St.
Hampton Terrace Historic District.
To the east of Seminole Heights is a similar neighborhood. It also consists of predominantly residential structures.
Further North.
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.
Dating from 1959, the area began as a park with an aviary and birdhouse. It was something to do while drinking beer from the new brewery next door. Over the years, they would add exotic animals keeping the park free until 1970. Then, to finance amusement rides, they began charging admission. Today Sea World owns the park. There is no longer free beer tasting, but there are more rides.
Adventure Island.
Across the street from Busch Gardens is their water park. Offering slides, a wave pool, and more, it is a separate park.
ZooTampa at Lowry Park.
West of Seminole Heights is this 63-acre nonprofit zoo dating from 1957. It is a center for Florida wildlife conservation.
Babe Zaharias Golf Course.
Dating to 1926, the Forest Hills Golf and Country Club was out in the country. Mildred Ella “Babe” Didrikson Zaharias purchases the course circa 1949. She manages the course and plays on her own or with the Men’s Club. After her 1956 death, the course closes. The city reopens it in 1974 as a public course.
USF Contemporary Art Museum.
Next to the USF College of the Arts is this contemporary art museum dating from 1989. The collection totals more than 5,000 pieces of art.
Museum of Science & Industry.
Across the streets from USF is this not-for-profit science museum. Although the museum is popular with kids, adults can learn a few things. Besides exhibits, the museum offers teaching through classes, workshops, and experiences.
Sulphur Springs Water Tower.
Dating from 1927, the tower, over an artesian spring, was for a hotel and housing complex. However, the development is a victim of the 1933 flood and never recovers. Until 1971 it operates as a local water source. The city shuts that down so residents must buy from the city’s water company. Today, it sits as a landmark.
West Tampa.
West Tampa Historic District.
With many structures dating from 1895-1925, West Tampa has a large historic district. Use the 1905 Santaella Cigar Factory Building on N Armenia Ave as a center point. From here, you can find streets of Frame Vernacular row houses and numerous bungalows.
On the original brick streets, check out the curbs. Instead of boring poured concrete, they are the original granite curbs.
El Centro Español of West Tampa.
Dating from 1912, this red brick building was the satellite location of the main club in Ybor. Like many social clubs of its time, it would have services and entertainment for its members. Today, the city owns it and rents it to Teaching Tools, an organization that helps get supplies to needy teachers.
Hyde Park Historic District.
Across the river and to the south is this district with structures dating from 1886-1933. Here you can see Queen Anne, Frame and Masonry Vernacular, English Romantic Revival, Classical Revival, Bungalow, and more. It is one of the best-preserved and oldest historic residential neighborhoods.
T.C. Taliaferro House.
Dating from 1890, this historic home on S Hyde Park is in the Classical Revival style. Once the home of a prominent banker, today, it is a center for women.
Anderson–Frank House.
Dating from 1901, this N.R.O.H.P. house is Colonial Revival with a little Queen Ann-style architecture. Originally the home of a banker, today, it is an event space.
Hutchinson House.
Two blocks from the Anderson-Frank house, also on S Plant Avenue, is this Second Empire masterpiece dating from 1908. In the 1960-70s, it was a fraternity house. After a total refurbishment, it is once again in pristine shape. Currently, it houses a law office.
Le Claire Apartments.
These mirror-image apartment buildings date from 1926 and are in a Masonry Vernacular style. A passage on the second floor connects the two wings, making this a very fashionable apartment complex for its time. Today, it is a private residence.
Other West Tampa Sites.
Tampa Bay Hotel – Henry B. Plant Museum.
The jewel of the Henry Plant train, steamship, hotel empire is the Tampa Bay Hotel. Just across the river from downtown, it was the winter address for many northerners. At the cost of $2,500,000 from his own pocket (a lot of money in the 1880s), he builds this palace. With more than 500 rooms, it has the latest amenities, including electricity and telephones, in every guest room.
The grounds would cover 150 acres with golf, tennis courts, boathouse, stables, hunting and fishing grounds, and more. During the Spanish-American War, Plant convinces the United States military to use the hotel as a base of operations. The soldiers would camp on the grounds. High-ranking officers would have a hotel room. As a colonel, Teddy Roosevelt rates a room.
The hotel operates seasonally from 1891 to 1930, when the depression forces it to close. Circa 1933, the Tampa Bay Junior College rents the property for its school. It never leaves. Today, it is the University of Tampa.
The Flagler Museum takes up the southeast wing of the building. It remains as it was in 1930. You can arrange a private tour or just explore the museum.
Alessi Bakery.
For a little taste of old Tampa, this Italian bakery has been providing baked goods since 1912. So, justify that Italian Tea Cookie or cannoli as part of your history lesson.
Cacciatore and Sons.
This West Tampa location is still family-run, dating back to their first butcher shop in Ybor City circa 1896. Originally catering mostly to the Cubans, Italians, and Spaniards of Ybor, today they have a wide range of customers. The deli, with tables inside the store, offers Cuban and Italian specialties.
South of Downtown Tampa.
MacDill Air Force Base.
As this is a working air force base, visiting is restricted. Tours take place once a month and only with prior reservations. In March, the base hosts the Tampa Bay Airfest with flying demonstrations, ground displays, and more.
Picnic Island.
10-minutes west of MacDill is the former site of Harry Plant’s Port Tampa. Nothing remains of the port, wharves, or hotels. Today it is a public park with picnic areas, a dog beach, and views of the bay.
Tampa Summary.
For a town with a young history, Tampa has a lot to offer. Except for the sites along the River Walk, almost everything above is on the National Register of Historic Places. And that’s not all of them.
Tampa is not right on the Gulf of Mexico, but there is plenty to do on, in, or next to the water.
The cuisine is incredible. Spanish, Cuban, Italian, and others stand alone and mix to make an exciting culinary city.
Who knew this vacation destination had so much more than sun and sand?
Are you ready to visit Tampa?