Penn Dawson and Albert S. Thornton opened the Smart Shop Clothes for Men on this corner in 1911 after purchasing it and changing the name from the Morrison Building. They did business here for over 10 years. In 1921, the building's name changed to the W.F.S Building after the new owner, Col. Wallace Fisher Stovall, a wealthy man and publisher of the Tampa Tribune. Stovall had an extensive collection of real estate in downtown. In the land grab rush of 1924, Stovall sold this structure for $300,000 cash to J.E. Hinson from Savannah Ga at a “sizable profit,” according to newspaper reports.

It was renamed the Hinson Building. When the Great Depression hit in 1929, many businesses liquidated or moved out. By 1930, the J. Harris Restaurant had taken over the ground floor. In 1945, Tampa Pure Foods leased the entire building for its headquarters and ground floor restaurant for 21 years for $401,000. By 1950, the selective service (Draft Board) was also working from the building. Pendola’s Men’s Wear was here in the 1970s. In 1980, Sun Bank did a significant renovation after leasing it. Several restaurants have followed, including Crumb and Cork. It is now the Tampa location for Vale Food Co., a fast-casual healthy food eatery.

 © Chip Weiner. All rights reserved