Jackson’s home in Tampa will receive a historic mark
The 24-room lodging house on Zack Street welcomed black travelers during the Jim Crow era that was not seen elsewhere.
TAMPA, Florida. The historic Jackson home will soon have a historical marker outside the home to mark its significance to the Tampa community.
The 24-room lodging house on Zack Street welcomed black travelers during the Jim Crow era that was not seen elsewhere.
Over the years, many efforts have been made to save the house, despite its current state of disrepair.
10 investigators received an expanded marker statement that reads:
The Historic Jackson Boarding House was originally built as a private residence by Moses and Sarah Jackson in the late 1890s. The family converted it for use as a boarding house, and the Jacksons also lived in the house. began as early as 1910, but the importance and physical size of the house grew with the opening of Tampa Union Station, a railroad passenger and freight station.
“The Jacksons’ proximity to the new railroad station—less than one block to the east—provided much-needed accommodation for African-American railroad workers and visitors to Tampa. During this time and into the early 1960s, African Americans were prohibited from staying in white hotels, motels, and boarding houses. Facilities such as the Jackson Boarding House played a critical role in the era of segregation, and while it wasn’t the only boarding house (or hotel) for blacks visiting Tampa, it was the only one left standing.
“The Jackson family used this building as a boarding house, which closed in the 1990s and then used it as a private residence until 2010.
The marker will be dedicated as part of the Tampa City Soul Walk.
“The Jackson House is actually one of the main components of Soul Walk,” said Robin Nye, arts and culture manager for the City of Tampa. “It helps a lot in advocacy to help save him. It’s really important in the community.”
The dedication will take place Thursday at 11:00 am at the Robert Saunders Library in Nebraska.
