Fort Homer W. Hesterly Armory was built on land donated initially by George Nelson Benjamin, the second mayor of West Tampa. It was donated for use as a park and reportedly used by Theodore Roosevelt Rough Riders as they came through Tampa leading up to the Spanish-American war. In 1922, the land was donated by the city and Hillsborough County to the Florida National Guard. Money from the Civil Works Administration and the Works Progress Administration (WPA) contributed to the construction of the buildings that are still present today. Fort Homer W Hesterly Armory was dedicated in 1941. The building’s namesake, Homer W Hesterly, was a former commander and a 116 Field artillery Battalion stationed here from 1934-1954. It became a premier entertainment venue and hosted iconic events, including an Elvis Presley concert in 1955. Other performers include James Brown, Tom Jones, and Pink Floyd. It was best known to locals as the home of Championship Wrestling From Florida, a weekly event featuring big names in the biz, including Dusty Rhodes and The Great Malenko. As larger and more modern venues opened, the armory closed its doors.

After purchasing the 110,000 sq ft building and five years of reconstruction, the Bryan Glazer Family Jewish Community Center opened its doors at the Armory in December 2016.

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