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THE NEW FIRST NATIONAL BANK TOWER
THIS FEATURE IS
CURRENTLY BEING CREATED
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and
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ANNOUNCED
FOR A NEW FIRST NATIONAL BANK SKYSCRAPER On
Apr. 8, 1970, First National Bank president E. P.
Taliaferro, Jr. announced their plan to build a new
$13.5M 35-story bank and office building on the
block between Kennedy Blvd, Madison St., Tampa St.
and Ashley Dr., just east of the present 13-story
building. Besides the bank, GTE was to be the
main tenant of the 400k sq. ft. tower and would
occupy 8 floors. Parking for 400 cars would be
on floors 2 through 5. The bank would occupy
the lobby and other bank offices to occupy 7 floors.
The new tower was to be 13 stories taller than the
current tallest building, the Exchange National Bank
tower.
Taliaferro also said plans were to
lease the old 13-story building "until it is
feasible for us to dispose of it."
Plans were for the exterior to be
mostly white marble accented by black marble trim
and tinted windows. There would be 12 main
elevators in a 2-zone system A businessmen's
club was planned for the 35th floor and possibly a
restaurant for women and small athletic club for men
with handball courts and saunas.
The building was designed by
Kelley-Marshall Inc. of Tulsa, OK and construction
would be managed by Transamerica Investment Group of
Dallas, TX. Construction was expected to begin
in June.
Read the rest of this article. |
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SUBSIDIARY TO
BUILD NEW FIRST NATIONAL BANK TOWER ON THE FORMER
SITE OF THE STOVALL OFFICE BUILDING
Legal complications with the plans
and specifications as well as signing of leases with
tenants caused delays in the start of construction.
First Financial Corp. vice president E.P. Taliaferro Jr.
announced in Dec.1970 that his wholly-owned
subsidiary, First Financial Realty Corp., would take
over the construction and development from
Transamerica Investment Group of Tulsa, squelching
rumors that the plans had been scuttled. First
Financial Corp. was a Tampa-based holding company
which controlled First National Bank. Taliaferro
said "we feel it is in our best interests to own and
operate our own building."
Read this Dec. 9, 1970 Tribune article.
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GROUNDBREAKING Jan. 7, 1971
 
Place your cursor on the photo to see the former
site of the Stovall office bldg. |
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THE END IS NEAR FOR THE STOVALL
OFFICE BUILDING
The new First Financial Tower was
built on the former site of the
Stovall Office Building.
The Stovall office building was
completed in Dec. 1920 and opened
for tenants on Jan. 2, 1921.
THE
STOVALL OFFICE
BUILDING DECLINING
YEARS
After 28
years of ownership
by W.F Stovall by
his Crestview Realty
Co., on Jun. 3,
1948, Stovall sold the building
for $300k to Tampa
businessman David Cowen and his wife. David was the president of
Flagler Shoe Co. and
operator of the Cowen Shoe
store at 600 Franklin St.
At the time, the
Stovall Office building listed 97
tenants, with a
construction company
and three small
businesses on the
ground floor. The Cowens took over the
building on June 4,
saying they had no
future plans to
reveal concerning
the building at this
time.
THE COWEN YEARS -
NAME CHANGE
in Sep.
1952 manager/owner David Cowen
announced the Stovall
Office Building would be
renamed the Flagler
Building, for his
company that managed it.
The change was prompted
by confusion caused
by two other Stovall
buildings, the Stovall
Professional Building at
301 Morgan Street and
the W.F. Stovall
Building at 501 Franklin
& Madison streets.
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BUILDINGS
WITH THE STOVALL NAME |
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The
Stovall-Nelson building,
southeast corner
of 817 Franklin St. and
Cass St.
Oct.
11, 1921. By Feb. 1930 it became
the Schulte-United
building.
Notice the
original 3-story Kress building
on the right.
In 1929 this building
was demolished and a
5-story building was
completed in its place
in Nov. 1929.
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W.F.S.
Building at 501 Franklin St.,
the northwest corner of
Franklin & Madison
streets, 1922. |
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THE FLAGLER (STOVALL
OFFICE) BUILDING
cont.
THE BISCHOFF YEARS
In mid-May 1956 the
120-room Flagler building
was sold for $400k by Mr. & Mrs. David
Cowen, Rebecca Cowen, Hyman
Golden, and Mr. and Mrs Sol
I. Golden to St. Petersburg
brothers Henry L. and Robert
Bischoff, traveling
salesmen, who
according to their
attorneys, purchased
it as an investment
for income and planned to
remodel part of the
building.
THE NEWMAN YEARS
In
March 1965 the
Bischoffs sold the
building for $330k to Joseph
Newman of Cleveland, and his
Tampa Development
Corp. who
planned complete interior
and exterior
renovation with all
modern designs and
fixtures, stating
"We're completely
redoing it, and are
going to strip it."
Plans included
parking under the
main office portion
and an area
renovation on the
riverfront from
Madison St. to
Kennedy Blvd. by H.
L. Crowder. He
planned big new
Holiday Inn on the
riverfront across
Ashley Dr. from the
Flagler building.
Newman declined to
estimate the cost of
his extensive
renovation.
But Newman's funds
soon
dwindled and the
renovation never materialized.
FORECLOSURE
In
May 1967 the First
National Bank of Tarpon
Springs foreclosed on the
mortgage, with the bank's
chairman of the
board stating the
bank had no
intention on
demolishing the
practically unrented
building. "The
bank is going to do
nothing to the
building except sell
it, what the
purchaser does with
it we cannot say."
He added that the
foreclosure was not
against Newman, but
against Bischoff,
indicating he still
held ownership.
THE
FINAL YEAR--CROWDER
The building
was then purchased in Feb.
1968 from
First National Bank of
Tarpon Springs by H. L.
"Dusty" Crowder, prominent Tampa
insurance man.
This
Feb. 15, 1968 Tampa
Tribune article
states that only
three ground-floor
tenants remained:
The Stage Lounge,
GAC Loans, Inc., and
Ippolitos Italian
Restaurant.
All had been told to
vacate the premises.
DEMOLITION BEGINS
THE WEEK OF JULY 22, 1968
According to property owner
H. L. Crowder, a temporary parking lot
would replace the building.
A Tampa Tribune editorial
claimed it was the
tenth parking lot in the central
downtown area, "adding one more
asphalt pavement to the already
bulging parking lot population."
Wallace Oliver Stovall was
a son of Wallace Fisher Stovall.
W. F. was president of
Crestview Realty, his son W. O.
Stovall was one of several company
directors.
It was W.F. who built the Stovall
Office Building in 1920.
 Wallace
Oliver Stovall,
born in Bartow
in 1891 and
educated in the
public schools
of Ocala,
Florida.
He graduated
from the
Riverside
Military Academy
in Gainesville,
GA, in 1909 and
then attended
the University
of Georgia for
two years. He
enlisted in the
Navy during WW1
and served for
two years, after
which time he
came to Tampa
and worked for
the Tampa
Tribune which
was owned by his
father, Wallace
Fisher Stovall.
Starting his
career at the
bottom, in 1912
he was elected
VP and a
director.
He was a member
of Phi Delta
Theta and Alpha
Epsilon
fraternities,
the Tampa Yacht
and Country
Club, American
Legion, and Ye
Mystic Krewe of
Gasparilla,
serving as King
Gasparilla XI.
He was married
in 1917 to Doris
Knight, a
daughter of H.
L. Knight.
(Info &
photo from "Men
of the South, A
Work For The
Newspaper
Reference
Library" Tampa
editor W.F.
Stovall among
many others in
other cities,
Southern
Biographical
Assoc, New
Orleans, 1922.)
DEMOLITION
UNCOVERS A HIDDEN PLAQUE
During the demolition, a member
of the wrecking crew found a
large bronze plaque "in a big
hole" in the boiler room.
Estimated to weigh 30 pounds, it
bore the image of Paulina
Pedroso, a Cuban woman who
helped Jose Marti escape harm
while in Tampa fund raising and
organizing the Cuban
Revolutionary Party for his Cuba
Libre campaign. Marti was
regarded as the "Cuban George
Washington."
The following
year, 1969, the First National
Bank of Tampa acquired most of
the property between Tampa St,
Ashley Dr., Kennedy Blvd and
Madison St. including the former
Flagler building site which was
being used as a parking lot. All
the buildings had been cleared
by this time. In March
1970 they acquired the final
property and in April announced
their plan to build the new
First National Bank tower there,
as described at the top of this
page.
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FIRST FINANCIAL TOWER
CONSTRUCTION (Continued)
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Steel framing of the parking levels in
progress. |
By April
1972 the steel framing had reached the
23rd floor. The completed floor space
was to be 50.000 sq. feet which is
almost 14 football fields. Other
structures seen in the photo are the
Holiday Inn, Barnett Bank building, the
John Germany Public Library, the Tribune
bldg., First National Bank, Bay View
Hotel, WDAE radio antenna, whiskey
bottle water tank, and the future site
of the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center.
Place
your cursor on the article below to see
buildings identified. |
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A crane and First Financial tower steel framework
seen from the Kennedy Blvd. Bridge, from the 1972
University of Tampa yearbook "Moroccan."
Courtesy of Chris Mygrant's Houx Estate Yearbook
Collection.
In mid-May
1972 the
steel framing
was nearing the top floor. The
Barnett Bank building seen at
left side was to have its grand
opening ceremony the week of May
25th. Also seen is the 14-story
Downtown Holiday Inn which
opened in mid Dec. 1971.
How they will remove the crane;
the tower was scheduled for completion by New Years
Day, 1973.
The last structural steel beam is
hoisted with a topping-off
ceremony which included a live pine tree and an
American flag hoisted with the beam.
The principal speaker was Wm. Howard
Frankland, chairman of the board of
First National Bank.
Read about Howard Frankland and the
bridge named for him.
By mid-July
1972, the steel framing was
complete and the bronze and
anodized aluminum panels
were being hung with windows
installed in between.
At the top, a crane is
placing 7,500 lb. concrete
slabs which would match the
pre-cast marble faced panels
that would surround the
seven parking floors at the
bottom.
FLORIDA'S
TALLEST BUILDING, FOR NOW
The tower would be 7 feet
taller than a building under
construction in Miami, but
one breaking ground in
Jacksonville will be 40
stories and 7 feet taller
than the First Financial
Tower.
VIPs given a view from the top by
Bill Watson of Watson & Co. architects and engineers
of the building.
Left to right: Bank president E.P. "Pen" Taliaferro,
VP Mrs. Nancy Ford, director Charles P. Lykes, Bill
Watson.
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Oct. 29, 1972 - Tampa Tribune -
HELICOPTER PAD
First Financial has included a helicopter landing pad in the
contruction of its 36-story downtown office and bank building "just
in case we ever decide to turn to the helicopters" according to a
spokesman
Dec. 1, 1972
- Tampa
Tribune - Buildings found "wanting" in fire
protection
"Wanting" in the fire protection sense, is keyed to
a lack of overhead, automatic interior sprinkler
systems activated by heat. The head of a
presidential commission on fire prevention, Richard
E. Bland, said yesterday that if states refuse to
require sprinklers in skyscrapers, the federal
government should "because there is no other
reliable way to fight such a fire."
Only one of the new
buildings in the central business area of Tampa,
including the First Financial Tower, under
construction, have such systems. And while
some of the older buildings do have sprinkler
systems, they have substandard fire escape systems,
including Tampa City Hall.
The First Financial
Tower will have a sprinkler system only on the 7th
floor, where computers are housed. The Barnett
Bank, downtown Holiday Inn, Exchange National Bank,
Marine Bank and the Federal Building, do not have
such systems. Only the General Telephone
building, in both its old and new sections, has an
interior extinguishing system.
Dec. 17, 1972 - Tampa
Tribune - Major tenants moving in
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TAMPA
EYESORE
WHISKEY BOTTLE WATER TANK TO BE DEMOLISHED
Negotiations with the owner,
Samuel C. Florman of Scarsdale, NY, were finally
successful in removing the tank.
HISTORY OF THE BOURBON BOTTLE WATER TANK
Known as the "Knight & Wall" water
tank, they didn't own it, they only
advertised on it. The Knight & Wall hardware store was located
on the southwest corner of Lafayette and Tampa streets.
This 1922 photo is the earliest that shows a water tank. The
original water tank was built before
1915.
This 1915 Sanborn Fire Insurance map from the Univ. of Florida
map collection shows the 30,000 gal. tank existed in 1915.
It was 86 feet above ground level. The 1931 map shows the
same structure.
Apr. 29, 1924 - The Knight & Wall water tank
behind the Rinaldi Printing Co. on the 100 block of
Lafayette St..
Knight and Wall Company seen at far left.
1948-07-07 PA 11086 Lafayette Hotel
Jul. 7, 1948 - The
Knight & Wall water tank advertised their Seminole brand
paint products.
On Sep. 1, 1950, the conversion of the tank
to
a 50-ft. tall Early Times bourbon bottle was
spectacularly
unveiled and uncorked above a large crowd at noon.
May 28, 1953 - Workmen on the big bourbon bottle.
Apr. 20, 1956 -
The Lafayette Hotel, 120 West Lafayette Street, in
foreground, and Early Times water tank in
background.
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Jan. 30 1973 -
Tampa Tribune - Madison Street to open in 6
weeks
In late Jan. 1973 VP of First
National Bank announced plans to reopen the
blocks of Madison St. between Franklin St.
and Ashley Dr.in 6 weeks, which had been
closed for a year due to construction of the
tower. Although most of the trailers and
other construction equipment had been moved
off the street, utility companies were still
working under the street surface. A
new sidewalk would be poured and once
utility installations were completed, the
bank hoped to open by March to be ready for
the first tenant, Merrill Lynch, a brokerage
firm. The city also planned to repave
Madison St. from Ashley to its terminus at
Pierce St sometime in 1973. The street
was already in poor condition before the
tower construction, and traffic signals kept
vehicles at a low rate of speed.
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WOLF BROS.
STORE IN
THE FORMER CITIZENS BANK BUILDING
The Citizens Bank & Trust was the first
to fold due to the Great
Depression in 1929..
When the bank vacated their
ground and lower floors at the
northwest corner of Zack and
Franklin streets, and the
furnishings removed for
liquidation, the Wolf brothers
moved their clothing
store from 808 Franklin St. to the corner space on the ground floor
of the building in early 1935.
Read about Mayor Frecker's
grandchildren in their legal
battle to recover the trust
funds their father set up for
them at Citizens Bank.
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Dec. 16, 1934 - Tampa Tribune
Space
has been leased to Wolf Bros in the vacated Citizens Bank
bldg. Now it was referred to as a "12-story building."
Sometimes it's erroneously referred to as a 14-story building.
CITIZENS BANK LOBBY, June 21, 1932
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In late March 1935 the Tribune
announced that Wolf Bros. and Hale Drug Co. were opening the next
day in their new quarters on the ground floor of the former
Citizens Bank building. Wolf Bros. would occupy the south
half, and the drugstore in the north half. The Wolf store would
have a boys department on the mezzanine, a tailor shop on the
2nd floor, and storage in the basement. An innovative
feature was air conditioning and indirect "daylight" lights.
THE WOLF BROTHERS STORY OF SUCCESS
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THE 1925 ADDITION OF
TWO FLOORS TO THE CITIZENS BANK BUILDING
Citizens Bank president Dr. L. A. Bize announces
plans to add two stories to the bank building. The
plans were being being designed by Francis J.
Kennard, a prolific architect of many prominent
buildings in Tampa, Florida. The public buildings he
designed were often in the Neoclassical style. His
work includes Hillsborough High School on Central
Ave., St. Andrews Episcopal Church, and the
Centro Espaņol de Tampa in the French Renaissance
Revival style with influences from Moorish Revival
and Spanish Mediterranean Revival. Kennard also
designed many of the cigar factories in Tampa, West
Tampa and Ybor City, along with other buildings.
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Citizens Bank building
began life with 10-story design, seen here in Jan.
1920. At far right can be seen the turret of the former home of
Citizens Bank.
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The construction of
two more floors began in April 1925 with G. A.
Miller as general contractor. New express elevators
would be added and the upper floors would have 41
offices. The construction was expected to cost
$40k.
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The Tribune brings the life of a steel beam
consstruction worker to Tampans as "Thrills Aplenty."
But there were no thrills for this unfortunate
worker, Ed McRae, who plummeted to his death from the 11th floor.
Citizens
Bank building new 12-story design, May 11, 1926
Construction was completed by Dec. 1925.
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THE WOLF BROTHERS STORY
Morris C. Wolf and Fred W. Wolf were born
in 1871 and 1873, respectively, in
Hessen-Darmstadt, Germany. In 1883 they came to the
America with their parents, Joseph Wolf and Johanna
Maria Koch Wolf,
locating in Louisville, KY. When Morris was 12 he secured a position in
a clothing store at Greenville, Ohio, owned by his uncle,
Michael Wolf of Cincinnati. His compensation was $1.50 per week,
besides board and clothes. He spent a year and a half at
this concern, and though he did not profit monetarily,
he gained valuable experience. For the ensuing 8 years he
was in Louisville, KY, variously employed, but chiefly
as a clerk in the dry goods store of his uncle Samuel
Jacobs.
In 1893 Morris came to Tampa, where
his brother Fred had preceded him in 1889. The brothers
were familiar with Tampa due to their father having
spent some time here for the benefit of the weather for
his health. Fred had spent some time in school and
graduated as a clerk in a store.
After Morris' arrival
in Tampa, the brothers were employed with their
brothers-in-law, the Maas brothers, until 1898
when Morris Wolf resigned and embarked in business for
himself with the scant capital of $200. His location
was half of a small business room near the corner of
Franklin & Lafayette streets near Tibbett's Corner. On Feb. 17, 1899
he moved to the next door and in March of the same year,
Fed Wolf resigned from Maas Brothers and entered into
partnership with his brother. This was the beginning of
the prosperous business of Wolf Brothers. In March of
1899, they moved to fine quarters at 808-810 Franklin
St. where they sold men's fine clothing and
furnishings until they moved into the former home of
Citizens Bank in March 1935.
WOLF BROTHERS STOREFRONT AT 808
FRANKLIN ST., 1932
The Wolf brothers and sisters, 1917
L to R: Morris Wolf, Martha Wolf Loeb, Jenny Wolf
Strauss, Julia Wolf Cohen, Philabena Wolf Maas, Fred
Wolf
Philabena "Bena" Maas was the wife of Abe Maas of Maas
Bros.
Read more about the Wolf brothers and their store here at TampaPix
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FIRST NATIONAL BANK MOVES INTO NEW
TOWER
On Nov. 29, 1973, First
National Bank announced they would be closing at 2pm on
Nov. 30 to prepare to move into their new facilities in
the First Financial Tower. They planned to reopen
at 9:30am on Monday, Dec. 3 Drive-in and walk-up
windows would continue to operate as normal in the old
building.
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1974-09-10 Tampa Times - Time capsule sealed
Howard Frankland photo courtesy of A History of Tampa,
etc., by Karl Grismer
 
Learn more about Howard Frankland and the bridge named in his honor.
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1973 - UPPER FLOORS OF CITIZENS BANK BUILDING BADLY DAMAGED BY
FIRE
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Despite the fire damage to the upper floors, Wolf
Brothers reopened their store in the Citizens Bank building in 1974.
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July
1, 1977 Tampa
Tribune
First Financial name changed to First
Florida
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July 21, 1977
Wolf bros. may move to vacant First National bank
lobby.
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Wolf Brothers moved into
the old First National Bank building in Nov. 1977.
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Tibbetts selling apples in front of
their confectionery, 1890s.
Read
about Tibbett's corner. |
Tibbetts
ad in the 1899 Tampa City Directory shows
two locations. |
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FIRST NATIONAL BANK CONTINUED
LYKES BROS. BUYS FIRST NATIONAL BANK BUILDING
These photos from
the USF
Digital Commons, Sape Zylstra collection show the FNB building from
the corner of Franklin and Madison streets circa late 1980s or early
1990s when the Wolf
Brothers store occupied the first floor. The new "First Financial tower" can be seen in the
first photo. The 42-story Barnett Bank tower was
completed in 1986.
1991-03-19 TRIB Lykes may move from Lykes bldg to FF
tower
Companies
to move into the First Florida tower
were Lykes Bros., a holding company; the
Lykes owned Peoples Gas System Inc; and
MacFarlane Ferguson Allison & Kelly, a
law firm in which various members of the
Lykes family are or have been involved.
All of the firms were currently in the
1927-vintage, 13-story Lykes Building,
originally called the First National
Bank Building.
LYKES TELLS WOLF
BROS TO MOVE OUT OF FNB-LYKES
BLDG.
BANK BUILDING & TAMPA GAS BUILDING TARGETED FOR
DEMOLITION
Architect Sol Fleischman Jr*.,
member of Tampa's Architectural Review Commission,
vows he won't allow demolition.
*He was a son of WTVT Channel 13's outdoors
anchorman "Salty" Sol Fleischman.
Tampa City Council holds meeting
to hear from preservationists and the Lykes Bros
corp.
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TAMPA GAS COMPANY BUILDING HISTORY
TAMPA GAS BLDG PA 1283 - 201 MADISON 1915
https://digitalcollections.hcplc.org/digital/collection/p15391coll1/id/2539/rec/3
TAMPA GAS BLDG PA 5463 - 1930 Madison & Tampa St. 1st Nat Bank
at left.
https://digitalcollections.hcplc.org/digital/collection/p15391coll1/id/6569/rec/4
TAMPA GAS BLDG PA 2671 - 1931-03-19 NEW BLDG
https://digitalcollections.hcplc.org/digital/collection/p15391coll1/id/3880/rec/28
TAMPA GAS BLDG PA 10451 - ORNATE DOOR TAMPA ST. ENTRANCE
https://digitalcollections.hcplc.org/digital/collection/p15391coll1/id/10817/rec/29
TAMPA GAS BLDG PA 16752 - 1940
https://digitalcollections.hcplc.org/digital/collection/p15391coll1/id/19108/rec/31
TAMPA GAS BLDG PA 358 -
1951-03-01 Exterior street view with cars
https://digitalcollections.hcplc.org/digital/collection/p15391coll1/id/1645/rec/32
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1895-09-29 TAMPA TRIBUNE - First
mention of Roberts building described as "new" when
Prof. R. N. Hadley announces Tampa University
business college to be located there in "elegant
quarters.".
1896-03-14 TAMPA TRIBUNE - Tampa Gas moves into
Roberts bldg. on Fla. Ave.
1896-07-23 WEEKLY TRIB
Roberts building located
at corner of Florida Ave. & Zack St.
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TAMPA GAS
REMODELS OFFICES IN ROBERTS BUILDING
The article is incorrect
about a Twiggs St. front. The
Roberts building fronted Zack St.
and did not extend anywhere near Twiggs
St. as can bee seen on the 1903 Sanborn
map.
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Dec.
30, 1911 TAMPA GAS
CO. MOVES TO
201
Madison St, corner
of Tampa St.
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In
the late spring of 1915
Tampa Gas Co. began
remodeling their
headquarters by adding more
storefront windows along
Tampa St. |
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July 1, 1915 - The newly remodeled Tampa Gas
building,
PA 1283
SEE THIS PHOTO MUCH LARGER
- When it opens, click it again to see it full size.
This building was built between
1903 and 1911. In 1903 only a stable occupied
the property.
Notice the Tampa Board of Trade used the 2nd floor
of the building. The Board of Trade sign is visible
at the far left in the above larger image.
Yellow is wood frame, an X denotes a stable.
Pink is brick, blue is stone. The green is frame
special and was a book bindery.
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FEB 6, 1930 -
TAMPA GAS CO ANNOUNCES PLANS
FOR A NEW BUILDING |
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The new building would be built on
the site of the present building which was to be
demolished. The old building was not more than
32 years old, as it was built no earlier than 1903.
It was no more than 27 years old. Local
architect M. Leo Elliot was the architect. The
new building was to be four stories and bids were to
be obtained for construction.
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TAMPA GAS BLDG,
March 1930 - PA 5463
The last days of the
first Tampa Gas building.
The Bay View Hotel was built by German immigrant
Robert Mugge, a successful liquor dealer and
business entrepreneur. The building to the lower
right of it was the Greeson Theater.
Showroom window
signage shows "WE WILL MOVE TO 510 TAMPA
ST. MONDAY MARCH 10TH"
It was to be their temporary location
while this building was demolished and
replaced with a new one.
SEE THIS PHOTO MUCH LARGER
- When it opens, click it again to see
it full size.
Mar. 19, 1931 - The brand new Tampa Gas Co.
building on the southeast corner of Madison (on the
left) and Tampa streets.
State-of-the art gas appliances can be seen on the
showroom floor through the windows.
Notice the ornate entrance at far right of the
building and the First National Bank building on the
left.
SEE THIS PHOTO MUCH LARGER
- When it opens, click it again to see
it full size.
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TAMPA GAS BLDG, Jan. 21, 1931 - ORNATE ENTRANCE
AT 415 TAMPA ST.
SEE THIS PHOTO MUCH LARGER
- When it opens, click it again to see
it full size.
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Tampa Gas
Co. building, Jan. 30, 1948
SEE THIS PHOTO MUCH LARGER
- When it opens, click it again to see
it full size.
Mar. 1, 195
TAMPA GAS CO. BLDG
SEE THIS PHOTO MUCH LARGER
- When it opens, click it again to see
it full size.
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LYKES BROS.
BATTLE WITH CITY AND PRESERVATIONISTS
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HISTORIC TAMPA GAS BUILDING IS THE FIRST
TO GO
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JULY 2,
1993
Cranes are
used in the demolition of the old Tampa
Gas Co. building at Madison and Tampa
streets. The gas company building,
and the adjacent First National Bank
building that is set to be torn down
next week, are owned by the Lykes Bros.
Inc. The structures were the focus
of a battle between the company and
preservationists who had tried to block
the company's plans to destroy the
buildings.
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FIRST NATIONAL BANK
BUILDING CLOCK SPARED
The only
clock at the southern end of the
HARTLine Marion St. Transit Parkway is
shown at left in this photo taken by
TampaPix in 2009. Three clocks can
be seen (one on the right side face, on
edge) and there are probably six clocks,
one on each face.
Although
the Roman numerals appear as they did on
the First National Bank clock, the hands
are different and obviously only one
could be the actual FNB clock, if it
survived for 16 years.
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Late
1980s/early 1990s when Wolf Brothers was
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The two Marion St. clocks in the
above photo lack the marble face seen on the First National Bank clock below.
Dec. 2, 1926
Sept. 4, 1958
VACANT
BLOCK OFFERED FOR A PARK
FIRST FLORIDA TOWER RENAMED
PARK TOWER
Gaslight Park and the Park Tower
on Madison Street in 2025. Google street view.
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