The origins of this building date back to the late 1800s, one of Tampa's oldest. Chartered in 1895, the Citizens Bank & Trust opened in this building that same year. Notice the extravagant architecture. It was constructed while Henry B. Plant was building the Tampa Bay hotel with minarets, Moorish architecture, and lavish style. The Victorian spire on the Citizens Bank pressed brick and Georgia marble trim gave an elegant appearance. In 1895, Tampa had a population of 22,000 people, two electric streetcar lines, three ice factories, seven public schools, and 130 cigar factories, and banking was competitive.

By 1913, banker John Trice moved the Citizens Bank and Trust to his new 10-story building, the tallest in Tampa. In 1917, Charles Faircloth moved to Tampa and opened the National City Bank of Tampa, which had a successful run. Like so many other businesses, the Great Depression impacted their success, and by 1932, the bank was in receivership and liquidated. Retailer Lerner’s was here from 1929 until 1937, when Chandler’s Shoes remodeled, removed the unique spire, and moved in. The building reverted to banking in the early 2010s and has hosted several businesses, including Sabadell United Bank and Beach Community Bank. It is now home to Hyde Park Capitol.

 © Chip Weiner. All rights reserved