Tampa history and landmarks

Last checked Oct. 10, 2026. History comes from the City of Tampa’s brief history and the City Clerk’s incorporation history; landmarks from the National Park Service’s National Register spreadsheet (listings through May 22, 2026).

Tampa began as an Army post on the bay, grew rich on railroads, phosphate and cigars, and still has whole neighborhoods from those years. Four local historic districts and 64 local landmarks are protected by the city, and 82 places with Tampa addresses are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Who to call

• City historic preservation: Architectural Review and Historic Preservation, 813-274-3100, option 3
• City archives and records: Office of the City Clerk, 813-274-8030
• Tampa Bay History Center: 801 Water St., open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (tampabayhistorycenter.org)

How Tampa began

From the city’s history page and the City Clerk’s incorporation history:

Phosphate discoveries in the late 1880s brought mining, shipping and a boom through the 1890s. Tampa was the main port where U.S. troops shipped out for Cuba in the Spanish-American War, and Jose Marti spoke to cigar workers from the steps of Ybor’s factory. In 1914 the St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line started what the city calls the world’s first scheduled commercial airline service, and a building boom from 1923 to 1926 produced subdivisions such as D.P. Davis’s man-made Davis Islands.

The historic districts

The city’s local historic districts are Ybor City, Hyde Park, Seminole Heights and Tampa Heights, reviewed by the Architectural Review Commission and the Barrio Latino Commission (historic preservation page). The city describes Ybor City as about 2 square miles between Nebraska Avenue, 22nd Street, Columbus Drive and East Broadway. The National Register also lists the West Tampa, Hampton Terrace, North Franklin Street, Upper North Franklin Street and Palmetto Beach districts.

Every National Register listing in Tampa

From the National Park Service data, by year listed. Addresses are as the register records them.

Davis Islands (23 listings): Bay Isle Commercial Building, 238 E. Davis Blvd. (1989); House at 100 West Davis Boulevard (1989); House at 116 West Davis Boulevard (1989); House at 124 Baltic Circle (1989); House at 125 Baltic Circle (1989); House at 132 Baltic Circle (1989); House at 161 Bosporous Avenue (1989); House at 190 Bosporous Avenue (1989); House at 200 Corsica Avenue (1989); House at 202 Blanca Avenue (1989); House at 220 Blanca Avenue (1989); House at 301 Caspian Street (1989); House at 36 Columbia Drive (1989); House at 418 Blanca Avenue (1989); House at 53 Aegean Avenue (1989); House at 59 Aegean Avenue (1989); House at 84 Adalia Avenue (1989); House at 97 Adriatic Avenue (1989); Palace of Florence Apartments, 45 E. Davis Blvd. (1989); Palmerin Hotel, 115 E. Davis Blvd. (1989); Spanish Apartments, 16 E. Davis Blvd. (1989); House at 36 Aegean Avenue (1989); House at 131 West Davis Boulevard (1990).

Two listings with a Tampa mailing city sit outside the city: Egmont Key, at the mouth of Tampa Bay, and the Upper Tampa Bay Archeological District, whose location is restricted. The Costa house is on Lake Magdalene Drive.

Museums and places to visit

• Tampa Bay History Center, 801 Water St., open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (visit page).
• Henry B. Plant Museum, in the former Tampa Bay Hotel, 401 W. Kennedy Blvd. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday; closed Monday (museum site).
• Ybor City Museum State Park, run by Florida State Parks; check the park page for hours.
• Oaklawn and St. Louis cemeteries, a National Register district since 2017, at 606 E. Harrison St.
• Perry Harvey Sr. Park, 900 E. Scott St., whose skateboard bowl was listed in 2013 and whose History Walk and Leaders Row honor Tampa’s African American community.
• Old City Hall, 315 E. Kennedy Blvd., listed in 1974 and still home to the City Council chambers.

The city’s 2024 landmarks and designations book describes each local landmark.

What this means for you

• Own a house in a local historic district? Exterior changes need a Certificate of Appropriateness first; see our permits and zoning guide.
• Most National Register buildings are private; view them from the street.
• The History Center and Plant Museum are the easiest places to start.

Related: Tampa population and growth, parks and trails and getting around Tampa.

Frequently asked questions

When was Tampa founded?

Fort Brooke was set up on Tampa Bay in 1824; Col. Brooke arrived with four infantry companies on Jan. 18, 1824. Residents voted to form the Village of Tampa on Jan. 18, 1849.

When was Tampa incorporated as a city?

Florida’s governor signed the first City of Tampa charter on Dec. 15, 1855. The present city was organized on July 15, 1887, under a legislative act that merged the Town of Tampa and the Town of North Tampa.

How many National Register of Historic Places listings are in Tampa?

The National Park Service lists 82 properties with a Tampa address, from the Tampa Bay Hotel and Ybor City to 23 Davis Islands houses and buildings and the Federal Office Building, added in 2022.

What are Tampa’s National Historic Landmarks?

The Tampa Bay Hotel (designated 1976), El Centro Espanol de Tampa and El Centro Espanol of West Tampa (both 1988) and the Ybor City Historic District (1990), according to National Park Service data.

When did Ybor City start?

The city’s history page says Vicente Martinez Ybor opened a cigar factory in Tampa in 1886.