The Caldwell Bonded Warehouse was established in the 1920s, when south Franklin St. was the gateway to the industrial section of town known as the Estuary. After merging with the Tampa Union Terminals Co. in 1929, they were able to warehouse products at a constant cool temperature in their cold storage and became a major player in holding in bond nearly all of the imported tobacco from Cuba for the cigar trade. This building was also a storage facility for Mayflower Moving Co.

In the late 1980s, land was cleared and the Tampa Convention center constructed. The site is now the location for the entrance of the loading dock for the convention center. Harpoon Harry’s Crab House, that opened in 2019, takes up the first and second floors.

 © Chip Weiner. All rights reserved