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2001 N. Albany as seen in Jan. 2004
The MacFarlane Investment Company sold this land for the construction of the first church school in West Tampa. "The Academy of the Holy Names" opened on Sept. 14, 1896, sponsored by the Order of the Sisters of the Holy Names. During the Spanish-American war in the late 1890s, classes were suspended and the building became a hospital.
After the war with Spain, the Academy resumed operation. The building was then taken over by the Silesian Order who renamed it St. Joseph's school and moved it in 1955 to its present location at Cherry St. and MacDill Ave.
The building was converted for use by the Morning Glory Missionary Baptist Church and painted dark orange. It is now (Nov. 2009) the Miracle Temple Church of God in Christ where Supt. C. U. Sutton is the Pastor. Supt. Sutton has done a great job in remolding the interior of the church and is currently working on the upstairs portion. The Miracle Temple family is committed to preserving and maintaining this church and understands its historical value within the Tampa community.
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Albany Avenue was originally named Francis Ave., then Gaspar Ave. |
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The Convent and Academy of the Holy Names occupied this building from 1892 to 1928. Place your cursor on the photo to see the street names. Notice Sacred Heart Church in the distance, on Twiggs St., with the original location of Jesuit High School to the left of it. Twiggs St. ran behind the building in this photo, on the south side. On July 17, 1881, two Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary arrived from Key West to open a two-room school house in a blacksmith shop on Zack Street in Tampa. Thirty-five pupils were enrolled initially, but by the end of the first academic year, their numbers had increased to 70 day scholars and two resident students. In April 1889, the site of the school was moved to a two-story building at the corner of Franklin and Harrison Streets. In 1891, the late Bishop John Moore, second Bishop of St. Augustine, purchased the above property on Twiggs Street where a larger school, which served the community for 34 years, was built. By 1926, further growth necessitated larger accommodations, and the school was moved to temporary quarters on Central Avenue while the present building on Bayshore Boulevard was under construction. Bishop Barry of St. Augustine laid the cornerstone in 1928, and Florida's Governor-elect Carlton spoke at the ceremony. The following September saw the opening of the new school, but financial difficulties halted building progress before the structure was completed. However, with increasing enrollment, growth of the school continued. The building was completed, and by 1952 two new school wings were added, along with the chapel and auditorium.
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