Woodrow Wilson was one of the first two junior high schools in Tampa that opened in the fall of 1915. The other was George Washington. Wilson opened with a faculty of ten teachers and an enrollment of 259 students. It was a time when Davis Island was only a swamp. Palma Ceia and Hyde Park were new communities of growing families. In the early years, Wilson had no lunchroom. Most students brought their lunches from home or were permitted to leave campus to buy nickel or dime sandwiches at Sumner Grocery, Hixon's Pharmacy, or O'Brien's Drugstore. The Hamburger Stand, a favorite gathering spot for students through the 1970s, was located on what is now a parking lot. Students enjoyed Cokes mixed with cherry syrup, which was sold there after school for many years.  

The original structure, costing $40,000, was the section facing Swann Avenue. The wings were added in 1920, and by 1928, a physical education and an art building had been constructed. In 1958, additional space was added to the lunchroom area, followed by a new band room and shop in 1960. The shop was converted into the present media center, which houses books, reference materials, computers, and portable computer labs that can be relocated to classrooms for instructional purposes.

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