TAMPA, Fla. — With crumbling walls and a roof in the process of caving in, restoration moved one step closer at Tampa’s historic Jackson House Thursday.
What You Need To Know
- The Jackson House is a historic Tampa landmark that has fallen into disrepair
- During segregation through the civil rights era, the property was one of the few places African American visitors could stay in Tampa
- The Tampa City County approved a deal Thursday to swap land with 717 Parking, which will allow renovations to move forward
Tampa City Council unanimously approved a deal Thursday to swap land with 717 Parking that will allow renovations to move forward. The Jackson House, now in disrepair, was one of the only places during the segregation era that African American visitors could stay while in Tampa.
Councilman Bill Carlson commented on the decision to preserve history.
"The Jackson House is the only significant property left in what what used to be the African American business community,” he said, noting that the renovation plan has been 10 years in the making. "So this is an important building. It’s also only one of two places that African Americans could stay when they arrived at the train station."
The Jackson House hosted famous civil rights leaders and artists like: James, Brown, Ella Fitzgerald and Dr. Martin Luther King, Junior. The Jackson House Foundation will meet with Tampa City Council November 2nd to discuss the renovation process.