Calling itself the Cream of the South, Southern Dairy Ice Cream was as much a brand as a retail store. Many soda fountains, drugstores, and restaurants in the early 20th century advertised carrying this company’s product as a premium brand. Even the new posh Tampa Terrace Hotel restaurant, opening in 1935, served this ice cream exclusively. Before construction, the property was home to The Henderson Motor Company in the 1920s and Richardson’s garage in the early 1930s. The Southern Dairy store opened here in January 1933. While records are unclear, it appears the store was open at this location until the late 1930s.

The building once played a key role in helping the local military when in 1945, the office of the Army Air Forces Billeting Service found lodging for thousands of returning World War II veterans. In 1948, the LS & W Fish Company opened and sold seafood here. From the late 1950s to the mid-1960s, A. B. C. Supply Company sold furniture here, and in the early 2000’s the building was host to The Lotus Room Yoga Studio. The White Magnolia Bridal Collection now carries a curated selection of bridal gowns in the space.

 © Chip Weiner. All rights reserved