Bently-Trezevant building

Bentley-Trezevant Building, 608-610 Florida Avenue: Tampa, Fla. 1930. Burgert Brothers. Courtesy, Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System

Exchange Bank, 608-610 Florida Avenue 2021. © Chip Weiner.

The Bentley-Trezevant Building opened in 1928 with two storefronts and 11 offices. It was home to a Tampa Bay Drug Company store and Madame Himes Beauty Parlor in the 600 block of Florida Avenue in 1930. The drugstore had a café where regular meals were served from 5:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., and Sunday dinners ran 75 cents. Madame Himes ran a beauty parlor here and a beauty training school in Hyde Park, claiming to use rainwater exclusively on clients’ hair for its beneficial properties. Dr. R.L. Watson practiced dentistry on the second floor, and C.V. Dickens had his insurance agency here.

In 1931, the entire first floor was leased to Morrison’s Cafeteria Company signed a 10-year lease and completed a $12,000 renovation. The well-appointed dining room was a favorite for Tampa diners. By the late 1950s, Fulghum’s Gift and Card shop had moved in. Starting in 1964, the 22-story Franklin Exchange Building was constructed, taking the entire block. At the timeof its completion, it was the tallest structure in Tampa, surpassing the 19-floor Floridan Hotel. In 2013, new owners, The Wilson Company, renovated the three buildings that make up the block. The tower remains a multi-tenant office building.

From Burgert Brothers: Look Again Vol 1