Silas Biglow came to Tampa from Brooklyn in the late 1800s and built the iconic structure at the corner of Bayshore and Gandy Boulevards in 1908. Biglow died in April 1913, leaving the house to his wife. In 1917, she sold it to Tampa surgeon Dr. John Sullivan Helms, who modified it and opened the Bayside Hospital. Bayside was the first private hospital in the Bay Area and joined the Sanatorio Del Centro Espanol on Bayshore, built in 1905. The Centro Espanol hospital was for the use of the mutual aid society and was not open to the public. Bayside operated until 1927, when the Tampa Municipal Hospital, now Tampa General, opened on the newly built Davis Islands. Helms became a consulting surgeon there after closing Bayside.

Helm’s nephew, an artist, reportedly resided in the building and died in his studio in 1965. Helm’s widow, Dora, also lived there until she died in 1974. In the decades that followed, it fell into disrepair. It became a favorite spot for teens to break into, sparking rumors that it was haunted. Some say Biglow's spirit still lived there, while others attributed the paranormal activity to the morgue that was once located on the first floor. Plans for rehabilitation and removal came and went. The property went into foreclosure in 1988, the same year it received a Local Historic Designation from the city. It continued to house transients, becoming an eyesore. As seen in these 1975 Gandy photos, the exterior of the home and carriage house was tattered, and the interior ceilings showed evidence of water leaks. However, the beauty of the wood paneling, floors, and crown molding still shone through.

In 1990, the 500-ton building was lifted, moved 150 feet closer to Bayshore, and elevated. The $3.1 million 46-room renovation resulted in a multi-use building featuring offices on the first and third floors, with an event space on the second floor. Michael and Jennifer Puleo purchased the property in the early 2000s and established their med spa, Faces of Tampa, starting with the carriage house and later expanding into the main building. Today, it stands as a beacon of preservation. 

 © Chip Weiner. All rights reserved