Darling Department Store 507 Franklin St

Darling Department Store, 507 Franklin St. Circa mid-1930s. Robertson and Fresh. Courtesy of the University of South Florida Digital Collection

The Darling Department Store at 505 Franklin St. opened in 1936 with a gala event featuring a style show with the “newest in feminine attire”, The Cavaliers orchestra, and live broadcasting from WDAE. The 18,000-square-foot Rutland Building was remodeled before Darling moved in. It was the 65th store opened by The Darling Shops nationwide. They operated here until 1958 when Stein’s Men’s Clothing opened. Several other retail shops have inhabited the building. In the 1960s, the building housed Beverly’s Hallmark Shop. Following a mass retail migration out of downtown in the late 1960s and early 1970s, Tampa leaders closed a five-block stretch of Franklin Street, including the 500 block, in 1973 to build a pedestrian mall and increase foot traffic. The project was a failure, and retail has continued to struggle.

DThe Darling Department Store At Night, 507 Franklin St. Circa mid-1930s. Robertson and Fresh. Courtesy of the University of South Florida Digital Collection