As one of Tampa’s oldest churches, Sacred Heart Church and its Romanesque architecture with gray granite and marble face stands out amongst the other modern buildings along Florida Ave. In the early days of the church in the late 1800s, the Tampa parish began in a small framed building known as Saint Louis Catholic Church, named after King Louis IV of France. As Pastor of the church in 1898, Father William Tyrrell broke ground and paved the way for the building of the Sacred Heart Church. It was dedicated in 1905. The building on the right of this photo was the Catholic Social Center, which was added in 1920. The church is in the center, and the Sacred Heart College is on the right.

The Social Service Center was leveled, and the St. Francis Hall Parish Center has offices in the replacement building. The college at Florida and Madison was also torn down, and the Madison Building and Parking Garage was constructed there in 1965. The church remains a crown jewel of downtown architecture.

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