As one of the oldest 3-story structures, the Ferlita Building was a landmark in downtown Tampa. Before prohibition in 1920, it held a popular saloon and restaurant. The second floor was a pool hall, and the third was a boarding house. In 1923, it got a make-over, and Bailey Clothiers took a spot facing Franklin St. and the Eli Witt Cigar Co. inhabited the corner. The top two floors were converted to offices, and an elevator was installed. By the time this photo was taken in 1936, WD Bailey had moved around the corner, and his original store became the Stovall Baugh Men’s store. Another Madame Himes Beauty Shop can be seen on the first floor on the far right.

In 1937, Maas Haberdasher along with WD Baily took over the entire building when they joined forces and split the building with Ernest Maas. The store was later known as Weil-Maas and was razed by fire. In 1952, Madison Drug Store moved in after constructing a new $250,000 store on the old foundation. By the 1970s, then known as Madison-Liggett Rexall, the company moved its national headquarters into the top floors of the building. Then Walgreens purchased the store in 1974. They vacated the building, which sat empty and in disrepair until revitalization in 2006, creating a coffee house and restaurant. Indigo Coffee and Bavaro’s Pizza (which is still there) were the result.

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