United Motor Company building on corner of 1702-1706 Franklin Street

Flag-festooned United Motor Company building on corner of 1702-1706 Franklin Street. 1923. Burgert Brothers. Courtesy, Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System

corner of 1702-1706 Franklin Street. 2021. © Chip Weiner

United Motor Co. opened its first showroom at the corner of Nebraska and Seventh Ave in 1918 and was appointed the distributor of Maxwell Motor Cars. The cars were popular and quick sellers, and with the growth of the business, the company moved to this location at the northwest corner of Franklin and Henderson along what was nicknamed Auto Row in 1920. By 1927, it had changed names and brands and was known as United Motor Co. Chrysler. That same year, they moved to the corner of Tampa and Francis St., and Sears and Roebuck of Chicago opened a retail store here.

In 1931, United Motors returned when Sears moved to a larger location on Florida Avenue. By the late 1940s, United moved to 1201 Florida Ave and was purchased by Goodman Chrysler-Plymouth. In the 1950s, like several buildings along Auto Row, the building became a union house, this one for IBEW. The building has since been demolished and is now a parking lot.

 © Chip Weiner. All rights reserved

From Burgert Brothers: Look Again, Vol.2