Citizens Bank & Trust originally opened across Franklin St. where the Chandler’s Exquisite Shoes sign can be seen on the far right. Banking was competitive as Tampa transitioned from boom-town to big-city, and Citizens grew with it. City leader and president John Trice moved the bank here in 1913 when it was the tallest structure- the first skyscraper- in Tampa. The Wolf Brothers store, which is seen on the first floor of this photo, was a revered retailer and one of the city’s oldest stores, starting in the late 1800s. It closed in 1996. Next door was the Florida Theater, and on the opposite end of the block, O. Falk’s Department Store.

The165 165-foot structure was demolished in 1979 to make way for Tampa Electric’s new multi-million-dollar complex shown here, but it didn’t go peaceably. In the middle of the night, a column gave way, spewing debris across Franklin St, breaking windows in the surrounding buildings, and snapping off a fire hydrant that sent water gushing.  

 © Chip Weiner. All rights reserved