We’ve all seen it. That white lighthouse-esque cylinder protruding from the tree canopy while driving along I-275. But what’s the story behind the Sulphur Springs Water Tower?
We investigated the landmark for some brief snippets into its fascinating life.
Before the climb
Before the tower, came the springs — sulphuric ones. About six miles due north of downtown Tampa, the Hillsborough River winds through a cacophony of mangroves, Spanish moss, and sabal palm trees. That’s where historians believe the Tocobaga tribe of Native Americans once bathed in the river’s spring waters, thought to contain healing properties.
In the late 1800s, a businessman named John Mills bought ~100 acres of land around the springs in 1898. Development soon followed: a hotel, baths, a swimming pool, and a restaurant. The area became a rural vacation hotspot for well-to-do families looking to escape the hustle and bustle of increasingly rushed urban life.
But when Josiah Richardson bought the land from Mills in 1906 (for a whopping $10,000), the area began to rapidly grow. While travelers continued to bathe in the waters for perceived medical purposes, including kidney disease, Richardson soon installed a range of recreational activities. Revelers enjoyed an arcade, indoor shopping center, popular alligator farm + water slide. The secret was out, and Sulphur Springs became a national vacation destination during the Florida land boom of the 1920s.
Towering high
In 1927, the Sulphur Springs Water Tower was built to keep up with the area’s growing demand. It pumped artesian well water to serve the area’s residential and commercial real estate.
Richardson paid for the tower with the help of big bank loans, and it took just eight days to build. Imagine that. More water was needed to fund local infrastructure, by that point named Sulphur Springs Hotel and Apartments + Maves Arcade.
Unfortunately for Richardson, the 214-ft tower was one of his final projects in the neighborhood. The record-breaking Atlantic hurricane season of 1933 collapsed the Tampa Electric Company’s dam, and extensively flooded the arcade and surrounding area.
The tower pumped water until 1971, at which time the City of Tampa monopolized the region’s water supply. Previously, the structure was possibly most well known for being a backdrop to a drive-in movie theater, most popular in the 1950s.
After the glory days
When the tower no longer served its primary purpose, the area began to change again. The Sulphur Springs Hotel and Apartment complex was demolished to introduce a greyhound track, and the arcade quickly followed to provide trackgoers with additional parking.
But the thin white structure remained, a symbol of a bygone era in a community undergoing seemingly perennial change. Restoration efforts in 1989 added 150 gallons of graffiti-proof paint to the tower, its last makeover until 2023.
In 1990, the site grabbed national headlines. That’s when two teenage boys climbed to the top + got stuck on the roof. There’s footage of Tampa Fire Rescue’s rescue mission.
Today, the tower is a fascination among paranormal investigators. Ghost sightings have been claimed over the years, including some dressed as pirates.
Efforts are ongoing to maintain the structure and continue its legacy as a historical landmark. The River Tower Foundation hosts an annual festival to support ongoing preservation needs.
