Get a closer look at Tampa history with this walking tour through Historic Hyde Park. Start in the northeast corner of the district at Plant Avenue and stroll down to Bayshore and the tony residential avenues. Or start at Delaware Ave. and finish up at Plant (a nice alternative if you’d like to cap off your journey with a few pints at Four Green Fields).
SUMTER LOWRY HOUSE (1893). The three-story clapboard home of the colorful city councilman who helped start Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo and St. Andrews Episcopal Church. 333 S. Plant Ave.
PETER O. KNIGHT HOUSE (1890). One of the first homes in Hyde Park and residence of the Tampa Historical Society. 245 S. Hyde Park Ave.
THOMAS CARSON TALIAFERRO HOUSE (1890). A two-story Georgian Revival, designed by St. Louis architects Grable, Weber, & Groves for the founder of the First National Bank. One of the first house guests was brother James, a U.S. Senator. 305 S. Hyde Park Ave.
ISAAC MAAS HOUSE (1924). The decorative residence of one of the two German Jewish brothers who founded Florida’s largest department chain. 907 Bayshore Blvd.
WATROUS HOUSE (1882). One of the oldest houses in Hyde Park, the home of pioneer fruit grower James M. Watrous was originally surrounded by elaborate gardens. The concrete walls (ostensibly fireproof, a big selling point in the era) were reinforced with old narrow gauge rails from the defunct systems replaced when Henry B. Plant brought “modern” rail transportation to Tampa in 1885. 1307 Morrison Ave.
CUESTA-HIXON HOUSE (1912). Built for the cigar-making Cuesta family, this bungalow with Craftsman details was later home to Curtis Hixon, longtime mayor of Tampa. The new garage conforms to historic guidelines for architecture in the area. 800 S. Willow Ave.
LEIMAN HOUSE (1916). Henry Leiman was a “cigar trade man,” but he didn’t make them; he boxed them. His Tampa Cigar Box Company became the largest in the world by the early 20th century. His home was designed by B.C. Bonfoey and M. Leo Elliott. It is a spectacular example of the Prairie style introduced by Frank Lloyd Wright but rarely seen in the Southeast. 716 S. Newport Ave.
Dates and details: Compiled with assistance from Maureen Patrick, former president and current board member of the Tampa Historical Society, and floridahistory.org.
