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Preserving the Jackson House
Briona Arradondo reports.
TAMPA, Fla. - Crews are racing to make emergency repairs to the historic Jackson House in downtown Tampa after part of its side collapsed over the weekend.
The section of siding slid off the east side of the building, exposing splintered wood and chipped paint. The two‑story landmark has stood at 851 Zack St. since 1901, but decades of decay and recent weather have taken their toll.
Pictured: Historic Jackson House in Tampa.
On Wednesday, members of the Jackson House Foundation announced during a press conference that they have been doing interviews with three contractors to lead construction efforts.
Leaders say that a firm will be chosen on August 22.
Board member Angela Scott says that she wants to see the historical building restored the way it originally looks.
"We do want to rebuild, restore the home the way it originally looks," Scott said. "Our goal is to keep the historical designation for all of it as well."
The chair of the board of directors, Carolyn Collins, says that these restoration efforts are to keep the history alive in Tampa.
"It’s to maintain the history of Tampa. It’s to maintain the history of the African American community. It’s to maintain the history of the Scrub," said Collins.
The backstory:
Built in a neighborhood once known as The Scrub, the Jackson Rooming House served as a boarding house for African American travelers during segregation — hosting famous guests like James Brown, Ella Fitzgerald, and even Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
For years, efforts to restore the Jackson House have been stalled by access issues. But last Thursday, Tampa City Council approved a 10‑foot easement around the property, clearing a key hurdle for engineers and contractors to begin work.
PREVIOUS: Tampa City Council helps clear big hurdle toward preserving the historic Jackson House
Millions of dollars in grants and private funding are already secured, but leaders say years of delays have driven up construction costs.
The Foundation had planned to host a walk‑around with engineers in the coming days and seek final easement approval from the Community Redevelopment Agency before breaking ground — but this new damage could change the restoration timeline.
What's next:
The Jackson House Foundation is working with city code enforcement to get things moving, and they hope emergency repairs can happen within 72 hours.
Collins said they walked around the house Wednesday with three prospective architecture firms. They will choose one of those firms next week during a meeting with the full board on August 12. Whether the house is restored in its current state or torn down and rebuilt is up in the air, Collins said. There are 3D scans of it from the University of South Florida that can help. The foundation said they will find out what route is best from the new architect.
"We can’t wait six months. Proof is in the pudding. We are going to move as fast as we can," said Collins.
The foundation must wait for the Community Redevelopment Agency to approve the 10-foot easement. The board says they will announce the new architect on August 22.
"We want to know how are you going to move forward to make sure that we maintain the national, the state and the local historical landmark historical designations of the Jackson House," said Collins.
The board members want to get the house restored in the coming months, especially while a descendant of the Jackson House owners is alive.
"Ms. Jonnie might get to see this on TV, but Ms. Jonnie was born in this house. She still lives here in Tampa and she’s there with her daughter," said Collins. "She’s worked so diligently in this neighborhood, and we want this to be done so Ms. Jonnie gets to see it."
The Source: This story was written with information from the Jackson House Foundation and previous FOX 13 News reports.