Jackson Rooming House, African American boarding house from the Jim Crow era in Tampa, United States.
The Jackson Rooming House is a two-story wooden building with 24 rooms located near Tampa's former Union Station train depot on Zack Street. The structure displays typical early 1900s residential architecture with functional interior spaces designed to accommodate many guests.
Moses and Sarah Jackson established this lodging in 1901 to serve Black travelers when racial segregation shut them out of most accommodations. The building remained an important stop for Black visitors throughout the 20th century in a segregated city.
The house served as a gathering place for Black musicians and leaders visiting Tampa when segregation prevented them from staying elsewhere. It represents how Black communities created their own spaces when doors were closed to them everywhere else.
The house can be visited as the Jackson House Foundation gradually transforms it into an educational museum. Visitors should check ahead for tour availability since restoration work is still underway.
Famous musicians like Ray Charles, James Brown, and Nat King Cole stayed here during their Tampa performances. These Black artists used the house as a refuge at a time when segregation excluded them from other hotels.
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