TAMPA, Fla. — Time is running out for one of Tampa’s most significant Black history landmarks.
Over the weekend, a portion of the historic Jackson House in downtown Tampa collapsed—just days after the city council approved a resolution aimed at preserving the building.
Leaders from the Jackson House Foundation told ABC Action News they are now working around the clock to stabilize and save the structure before it’s too late.
WATCH: Urgency grows to save Tampa’s historic Jackson House after partial collapse
"That house has 9 lives at least," said Alan Clendenin, a Tampa City Council Member.
The Jackson House has stood since 1901, but time is running out. With each passing day, the historic structure edges closer to collapse.
"I mean, it's been in such bad state of repair for so many years. It's not a surprise to wake up one day and see the, the, the siding slide off of one side, unfortunately, said Clendenin. "It's sad, it's, it's a sad moment for the city of Tampa and the history of the city of Tampa, but it's not unexpected."
Back in March, Dr. Carolyn Collins with the Jackson House Foundation told ABC Action News that action was needed quickly—before the house was lost for good.
"The house is telling us, ‘I can’t wait on you guys anymore. Move,'" said Dr. Collins.
Last Thursday, the City of Tampa finally crossed the finish line of a major milestone when the City Council passed a resolution to preserve the historic Jackson House.
"It's the last big step of a lot of big steps," said Council Member Clendenin, calling the move essential to protecting Tampa’s Black history.
Clendenin said this was necessary to preserve history.
The Jackson House once operated as a 24-room boarding house for African Americans during segregation. It hosted Black travelers, musicians, and leaders who were denied lodging elsewhere due to Jim Crow laws.
"If you don't save this type of history and you don't preserve it, you have the risk of repeating history," said Clendenin. "You need to be able to save those stories so that generation after generation can look back and see where we were so we don't repeat those same mistakes."
Clendenin says the City of Tampa can’t go inside the home, so now, it’s up to the Jackson House Foundation to save it.
Because the City of Tampa isn’t permitted to enter the privately owned property, the responsibility now falls on the Jackson House Foundation to stabilize and restore the structure.
Foundation leaders said emergency repairs are underway to ensure safety, and more updates will be shared in the coming days.
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From Mr. Rogers to Sesame Street. From Downton Abbey to the documentaries of filmmaker Ken Burns. They’re shows so many Americans love and grew up on, and they were broadcast on local PBS stations thanks to funding from the Corporation of Public Broadcasting.
