Tampa Free Public Library
Posted by: 
Markerman62
N 27° 57.632 W 082° 27.648
17R E 356309 N 3093689
Located at E 7th Ave and N Tampa St.
Waymark Code: WMVQZF
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 05/20/2017
Views: 1
Built with a $50,000 grant from industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, the Tampa Free Public Library opened its doors in April 27, 1917, becoming the City of Tampa's first public library. This venture was the result of a sustained community effort led by the Tampa Woman's Club and the Tampa Board of Trade, a tax approval by citizens for annual operating costs, a 4,000-book donation by Mr. and Mrs. L.H. Lothridge, and the dedicated work of head librarian, Helen V. Stelle (1917-1947). Designed by architect Fred J. James and constructed in 1915 at 102 E. 7th Avenue by Aulic, Bastes & Hudnell, the 35,212-square-foot Classical Revival building features brown and yellow brick, rusticated granite, a barrel tile roof, and 16-foot ceilings. It served as the main library for Tampa Public Library for 50 years. The Tampa Free Public Library closed its doors on April 6, 1968, when a newly-built, modern, central library at 900 N. Ashley Drive in downtown Tampa opened. The Tampa Free Public Library building is designated as a City of Tampa Local Historic Landmark; it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.
Marker Number: None
Date: 2015
County: Hillsborough
Marker Type: City
Sponsored or placed by: Hillsborough County Historical Advisory Council, Friends of the Library of Tampa-Hillsborough County, Inc.
Website: Not listed
|
Visit Instructions:
In your log, please say if you learned something new, and if you took any extra time to explore the area once you stopped at the historic marker waymark.
Please post a photo at the marker location.