Tampa in Hillsborough County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
Old Fort Brooke Municipal Parking Structure
1982
Bob Martinez Mayor
City Council
Lloyd Copeland, Chairman • Thomas W. Vann • Lee Duncan • Eddie Caballero • Sandra Freedman • Helen Chavez • Haven Poe
Dale H. Twachtmann, Administrator • Water Resources and Public Works
Mike Salmon, Director • Department of Public Works
Architects
McElvey, Jeennewein, Stefany & Howard Architects - Planners, Inc. • RMBR Architects - Planners, Inc. • Joint Venture
Contractor
Biltmore Construction Co.
Archaeologist
Piper Archaeology
Erected 1982 by the City of Tampa.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Anthropology & Archaeology • Native Americans • Settlements & Settlers • Wars, US Indian. A significant historical year for this entry is 1824.
Location. 27° 56.763′ N, 82° 27.418′ W. Marker is in Tampa, Florida, in Hillsborough County. Marker can be reached from North Franklin Street north of East Whiting Street, on the right when traveling north. The marker is located at the site of the parking garage in downtown Tampa. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 107 North Franklin Street, Tampa FL 33602, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Fort Brooke Cemetery (a few steps from this marker); Great 1909 Auto Race (within shouting distance of this marker); Capt. James McKay, I (1808 - 1876) (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); William F. Poe Plaza (about 400 feet away); Officers Quarters Fort Brooke (about 400 feet away); Lt. Col. Frank S. Adamo, M.D. (about 500 feet away); The Rough Riders Passed By Here (about 500 feet away); Tampa POW/MIA (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Tampa.
More about this marker. The marker is mounted on an east-facing wall at the base of the stairway near the entrance to William F. Poe Plaza in the northwest corner of the garage. It is across from Primo Deli Cafe and near the City of Tampa Parking Division Administrative Offices.
The marker is a large metal plaque (possibly brass) which were cast with three different three-dimensional relief images. The plaque's left side features a Seminole Chief, while on the right appears an officer from Fort Brooke, each holding a rifle. The third relief appears at the top-center, showing the faces of four females. These appear to represent a settler mother and child, a Seminole woman, and a slave of African descent. The plaque also features the official seal of the City of Tampa.
Regarding Old Fort Brooke Municipal Parking Structure. Native American cultures which lived at the Fort Brooke site in the centuries preceding European colonization include the Tocobaga, and possibly the Timucua (see nearby "Timuquan Indian Mound" historical marker). Sources differ on the presence of the later, with some stating the Tocobaga were confused for Timucua because they spoke the same language.
The Manasota, a pre-historic culture which inhabited the region between 500 BC - AD 700, may have been one source for some of the ancient anthropological evidence found in the garage site excavation.
The Old Fort Brooke Municipal Parking Structure (a.k.a. Fort Brooke Parking Garage) is a 2,523 space parking structure that services One Tampa City Center, City Hall, the Hyatt Regency Hotel, and other surrounding businesses. In addition to its parking area, the structure has several commercial spaces and is home to many retail and professional offices.
At ground level on the structure's west side is Whiting Station, the current downtown terminus of the TECO Line Streetcar System. Whiting Station incorporates a permanent light display titled "Siteliner" by artist James Woodfill.
Extending from the garage's third level, and just above Whiting Station, is a large, enclosed platform which used to serve as a station for the Harbour Island People Mover, an elevated, automated guideway transit system which ran south from the Fort Brooke Garage, across the Garrison Channel to Harbour Island. On the island, the People Mover's run ended at The Shops at Harbour Island, a waterside shopping and entertainment complex which opened in 1985. The complex did not enjoy long-term success, and in 1995 the shops were closed and converted to the commercial offices now called Knight's Point. The People Mover continued to shuttle between its two stations until 1999, when it closed due to low ridership and high operating costs. The pylons and elevated track were torn down, leaving only its station platforms at Fort Brooke and Harbour Island.
Additional keywords. Public Garage
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on July 9, 2011, by Glenn Sheffield of Tampa, Florida. This page has been viewed 1,372 times since then and 29 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on July 9, 2011, by Glenn Sheffield of Tampa, Florida. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.