The Most Historic Buildings in Tarpon Springs

As I wandered down Dodecanese Boulevard one Friday morning looking at the shops and restaurants in Tarpon Springs, I kept wondering about the architecture of the historic buildings in Tarpon Springs. Granted, Tarpon Springs is a mish-mosh of Florida vernacular, modern ranch, and Greek, for lack of a better term.

Specifically though, I’ve always wondered if the blue and white found on so many commercial buildings is just a “thing” because of the colors on the Greek flag or if it’s truly a Greek style of décor and architecture. Before even getting out of bed the next day, I pulled up an internet search on my phone – the question had been running through my head all night – and took a look.

A quick search pulled up dizzying images of white buildings with gorgeous seas in the background. And a dismally long list of ancient Greek architecture sites. Intrigued by the images more than the websites, I remembered from my research into Tarpon Springs’ history that the original 500 Greek immigrants to the Gulf Coast town had been brought in as sponge divers in 1905, from several Greek islands. These islands today are known collectively as the Cyclades and their unique architecture as Cycladic. Now I was getting somewhere!

Typical of the Cycladic style are white-washed walls, blue doors and windows, and domed roof elements. In the Greek islands, the buildings also have walled courtyards (because there were lots of invasions back in the day – 1000 years ago), are typically one story, and have few windows on the north wall but many on the south and east walls (because there was NOT air conditioning back in the day).

The only thing that truly remains of these architectural details in Tarpon Springs is the color scheme and the occasional dome on a roof.

Despite its deep Greek roots and culture, Tarpon Springs was founded a good 50 years before the Greek arrival. And this explains why the predominant architecture of the historic homes in Tarpon Springs is Florida vernacular, sometimes called Florida cracker.

What is Florida Vernacular?

Though the Florida vernacular style looks similar to Victorian, and some of the homes do incorporate the whimsy of the Victorian era, for the most part the decorative woodwork is missing in Florida vernacular. This is a style more suited for function.

The examples around Tarpon Springs lean towards two-story, wood-frame homes with steeply-pitched roofs and wide front porches. Some have a second story balcony as well. The only decorative elements can be found on those upper balconies worked into the iron railings. Otherwise, these homes are simple. They represented safety and protection to their residents, nothing more.

The Florida vernacular homes in Tarpon Springs more often than not evolved from the shotgun, or dogtrot, home, the earliest cabins of those few who settled around Spring Bayou in the 1850s. Over time, the small, single-story cabins would grow into two-story residences of the wealthier townspeople, but they maintained their characteristic layout – rectangular with a central hallway from front door to back door through which you could fire a shotgun without hitting a wall. Or so legend says; I haven’t personally tested this theory.

Where the shotgun style comes from is anyone’s guess. Some say Bahamian spongers introduced the style, but it was used in other parts of the state long before Tarpon Springs existed. The more logical answer is that it came from Africa by way of slaves and was first used in New Orleans. The simple style and ease of construction would have made it popular on plantations. The wealthy settlers who first came to Florida likely adopted the style as a quick and inexpensive way to build their first homes, especially as they had lots of lumber to work with.

So how will you know a Florida vernacular home when you see one? Vernacular simply means that the style is functional and uses readily available materials. In Florida, it is characterized by wood frame, masonry, and less often brick construction (one or two story, rarely three); metal roofs though some have shingles now; raised floors (they were built off the ground, not directly on it); and the shotgun hallway though after several additions and renovations the central hallway might not be central anymore. Or might be missing altogether if a renovation included “opening up” the living space.

They also have steeply-pitched often pyramidal roofs, overhangs with exposed rafter tails, and dormers for attic circulation, and open front porches with shed roofs (in other words, the porch roof is not part of the house roof). Despite their somewhat spartan exterior appearance, these homes served the early Floridians well and continue to do so.

Throughout Florida, the larger vernacular homes and smaller shotgun homes can still be found. Other architecture styles made their way to the state – Greek Revival, Spanish mission, Neo-classical, and Queen Anne – but the Florida vernacular shows how other styles were adopted, and adapted, for life in Florida’s humid, hot, and sometimes harsh, climate.

22 Most Historic Buildings in Tarpon Springs

I expect this list will grow as I photograph and learn the histories of other historic buildings in Tarpon Springs. Though the Florida vernacular architectural style is predominant throughout the state, developers and builders certainly brought in other styles, especially as wealthier citizens made more permanent homes and businesses here.

As you’ll see below, some of Tarpon Springs’ historic buildings are definitely looking at function over beauty, but many buildings were constructed in the styles that were popular at the time they were built, like Queen Anne or Mediterranean revival. It makes for a wonderful hodge podge of beautiful buildings.

Tarpon Springs Historic Train Depot

The historic train depot in Tarpon Springs, Florida is a significant landmark that holds a special place in the town’s history. Built in 1909, this charming Mediterranean Revival-style building served as a vital transportation hub during the early 20th century. Serving both passengers and goods, it facilitated trade and tourism and contributed to the town’s growth.

Built by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, it used lines first put down by the Orange Belt Railway. Prior to the railroad coming to Tarpon Springs, anyone who wanted to come to the town had a long and arduous journey. First, they took a train to Sanford which is northeast of Orlando. From there, they embark on a 130 mile journey by horse drawn carriage or buggy to Cedar Key 70 miles north of Tarpon Springs. From Cedar Key, passengers took a boat those last 70 miles to Tarpon Springs.

With the railroad opened to Tarpon Springs in 1887 and then this new train depot in 1909, the town’s population exploded. Besides good and tourists, the depot played a pivotal role in transporting sponges harvested from the Gulf of Mexico to markets across the country, making Tarpon Springs the “Sponge Capital of the World”.

A striking example of Mediterranean Revival architecture, it features a stucco exterior, red-tiled roof, arched windows, and decorative detailing. Its design captures the elegance of the era in which it was constructed. Over the years, the Tarpon Springs train depot has been lovingly restored and preserved by the community. Its historical significance has been recognized, and it now stands as a symbol of Tarpon Springs’ commitment to honoring its past.

Today, the train depot is home to the Tarpon Springs Historical Society and Tarpon Springs Historical Train Depot Museum. Visitors can explore exhibits, photographs, and artifacts that tell the story of Tarpon Springs’ development and its ties to the railroad. The depot occasionally hosts cultural events, workshops, and exhibits related to the history of Tarpon Springs and its sponge diving heritage.

Railway Express Company Building I

This building might not be on your list of the most historic buildings in Tarpon Springs; however, I put it (and the next building) in this place on the list because of the ties to the railroad.

The historic marker on the building reads: “The Railway Express Company Building, a one-part masonry vernacular commercial structure, was built sometime between 1913 and 1919. It originally housed the offices of the Railway Express Company. At some point, between 1919 and 1926, Railway Express built a new building on the property just north of the site and a laundry was subsequently established. The building was restored between 1985 and 1986.”

A search for Railway Express Company yielded no additional information. However, private parcel delivery by way of railroad was a popular way to send packages in the early part of the 20th century. There were four major companies which handled this service with the US Post Office joining the fray in 1913.

During a severe coal shortage in 1917, President Woodrow Wilson nationalized the railroads to aid in the transportation of soldiers and supplies. The express companies were consolidated into a single company, American Railway Express Agency, which was formed in July 1918 as a consolidation of the four major and three minor express companies. The new company took control of all the pooled equipment and property of existing express companies, the largest share of which came from American Express. Yes, now a credit card company.

American Railway Express Agency became Railway Express Agency in 1929. Tarpon Springs’ Railway Express Company was likely one of the minor express companies mentioned above. Today, the building is home to Tuscan Sun Italian Bistro, a casual eatery which features cuisine from the Mediterranean and across the Americas.

Railway Express Company Building II

If you guessed that this is the building “to the north” to which the Railway Express Company moved, you’d be right. The historical marker reads:

“This one-part vernacular commercial building was built sometime between 1919 and 1926 as the new location of the Railway Express Company.”

Interestingly, the nationalized railroads were returned to private ownership in March 1920 after the end of World War I. When American Railway Express Company became Railway Express Agency in 1929, it was owned by 86 railroads  in proportion to the express traffic on their lines; no one railroad or group of railroads controlled the agency.

Today, this building houses Tarpon Tavern, an Old World-style pub which serves burgers and other pub grub alongside craft beers and all of the other pub drink favorites.