Tampa Bay Hotel (1891) – outdoor sculpture
Henry B. Plant Museum, 401 W. Kennedy Boulevard, Tampa, Florida USA • The Tampa Bay Hotel was built by railroad magnate Henry B. Plant at a cost of over 2.5 million dollars. It was considered the premier hotel of the eight that Mr. Plant built to anchor his rail line. The hotel itself covers 6 acres (24,000 square meters) and is a quarter-mile long. It was equipped with the first elevator ever installed in Florida. The elevator is still in use today, making it one of the oldest continually operational elevators in the nation. The 511 rooms, some of which were actually suites consisting of between three-to-seven rooms, were the first in Florida to have electric lights and telephones. Most rooms also included private bathrooms, complete with a full-size tub. The price for a room ranged from $5.00 to $15.00 a night at a time when the average hotel in Tampa charged $1.25 to $2.00. The building’s poured concrete steel reinforced structure was advertised as fireproof.
The grounds of the hotel spanned 150 acres (0.61 km2) and included a golf course, bowling alley, racetrack, casino and an indoor heated swimming pool. In all, 21 buildings could be found on the hotel's campus. The Moorish Revival architectural theme was selected by Mr. Plant because of its exotic appeal to the widely traveled Victorians that would be his primary customers. The hotel has six minarets, four cupolas and three domes. In the early 90's, all were restored to their original stainless steel state. – From the Wikipedia summary.
☞ Headquarters of the army that invaded Cuba in the Spanish-American War (1898), and the news center for journalists participating in the "Correspondents' War." The hotel was a pioneer effort in the Florida resort business, and is an excellent example of Moorish-Turkish Revival architecture. – From the National Park Service's Statement of Significance.
☞ On December 5, 1972, the National Park Service added this structure (Also known as University of Tampa, Plant Hall) to the National Register of Historic Places (#72000322).
☞ On May 11, 1976, the National Park Service designated this structure a National Historic Landmark (also, #72000322).
National Historic Landmarks are nationally significant historic places designated by the Secretary of the Interior because they possess exceptional value or quality in illustrating or interpreting the heritage of the United States. Today, fewer than 2,500 historic places bear this national distinction. [And only 17 in Vermont.] Working with citizens throughout the nation, the National Historic Landmarks Program draws upon the expertise of National Park Service staff who work to nominate new landmarks and provide assistance to existing landmarks.
National Historic Landmarks are exceptional places. They form a common bond between all Americans. While there are many historic places across the nation, only a small number have meaning to all Americans--these we call our National Historic Landmarks. – From the National Park Service.
• More Info: [1] The Museum's website; and [2] the GeoHack: 27°56′43.7″N 82°27′50.45″W.
Tampa Bay Hotel (1891) – outdoor sculpture
Henry B. Plant Museum, 401 W. Kennedy Boulevard, Tampa, Florida USA • The Tampa Bay Hotel was built by railroad magnate Henry B. Plant at a cost of over 2.5 million dollars. It was considered the premier hotel of the eight that Mr. Plant built to anchor his rail line. The hotel itself covers 6 acres (24,000 square meters) and is a quarter-mile long. It was equipped with the first elevator ever installed in Florida. The elevator is still in use today, making it one of the oldest continually operational elevators in the nation. The 511 rooms, some of which were actually suites consisting of between three-to-seven rooms, were the first in Florida to have electric lights and telephones. Most rooms also included private bathrooms, complete with a full-size tub. The price for a room ranged from $5.00 to $15.00 a night at a time when the average hotel in Tampa charged $1.25 to $2.00. The building’s poured concrete steel reinforced structure was advertised as fireproof.
The grounds of the hotel spanned 150 acres (0.61 km2) and included a golf course, bowling alley, racetrack, casino and an indoor heated swimming pool. In all, 21 buildings could be found on the hotel's campus. The Moorish Revival architectural theme was selected by Mr. Plant because of its exotic appeal to the widely traveled Victorians that would be his primary customers. The hotel has six minarets, four cupolas and three domes. In the early 90's, all were restored to their original stainless steel state. – From the Wikipedia summary.
☞ Headquarters of the army that invaded Cuba in the Spanish-American War (1898), and the news center for journalists participating in the "Correspondents' War." The hotel was a pioneer effort in the Florida resort business, and is an excellent example of Moorish-Turkish Revival architecture. – From the National Park Service's Statement of Significance.
☞ On December 5, 1972, the National Park Service added this structure (Also known as University of Tampa, Plant Hall) to the National Register of Historic Places (#72000322).
☞ On May 11, 1976, the National Park Service designated this structure a National Historic Landmark (also, #72000322).
National Historic Landmarks are nationally significant historic places designated by the Secretary of the Interior because they possess exceptional value or quality in illustrating or interpreting the heritage of the United States. Today, fewer than 2,500 historic places bear this national distinction. [And only 17 in Vermont.] Working with citizens throughout the nation, the National Historic Landmarks Program draws upon the expertise of National Park Service staff who work to nominate new landmarks and provide assistance to existing landmarks.
National Historic Landmarks are exceptional places. They form a common bond between all Americans. While there are many historic places across the nation, only a small number have meaning to all Americans--these we call our National Historic Landmarks. – From the National Park Service.
• More Info: [1] The Museum's website; and [2] the GeoHack: 27°56′43.7″N 82°27′50.45″W.