April 1, 2025 Bungalow Alert

Timothy Burke • April 2, 2025

April 1 2025 Bungalow Alert

Home Tour tickets are now on sale

The OSHNA Home Tour Committee is proud to present our 25th annual rendition of Tampa's first and finest home tour, this coming Sunday! Here are some facts about this year's Home Tour:


  • Average age of homes on tour: 107 years old
  • Number of stops: 15
  • Number of stops that were also featured in the original 1999 home tour: one
  • Number of stops once lived in by an OSHNA president: at least five
  • Number of stops linked to 17th-century pilgrims: at least two
  • Number of stops where the title track to a platinum-selling Elvis Presley album was written: one
  • Number of stops with a basement: one (that we know of)


We're celebrating our home tour's Silver Jubilee with the best OSHNA has to offer. We hope you'll join us, and spread the news far and wide to your friends and neighbors that this experience is not to be missed.

Click here to buy Home Tour tickets!

Shared Micromobility Corrals Survey

Tired of navigating the obstacle course of scooters and city bikes strewn across the landscape? Or maybe you're tired of never knowing where to find one! Make your voice heard as to the best locations for the installation of corrals where our shared wheels can be found and parked with this survey:

City of Tampa Survey

NCAA Women's Final Four

Tampa is hosting the Women's Final Four for a record fourth time, and the NCAA is bringing a weekend jam-packed with events around Tampa for residents and visitors of all ages. Don't let the "Tampa Bay" part of the locator fool you: this is an event dedicated to the Cigar City.


Tourney Town is a FREE festival with special appearances, autograph signings, interactive games, giveaways, basketball contests, youth clinics and more. It all starts on Thursday at the Convention Center, which you can reach for FREE by taking HART's Route 1 bus to Whiting Street and then the FREE TECO streetcar one stop to the Convention Center.


Or take the bus and get off at Cass to see GloRilla performing at Curtis Hixon on Saturday night!


It's all free! And there's a lot more to do than we can even list here. So go to the official Women's Final Four website to see all the times and places things are happening .

Is Your OSHNA Membership Up-To-Date?

For just $10 a year—or $25 for businesses—you help your neighborhood association represent neighbors' interests with the city, provide outreach to local businesses and organizations, and keep these newsletters flowing!

Renew or become a member today

This Month In OSHNA History

To honor our 25th Anniversary Home Tour, here's the brochure from our very first one in April 1999. See which homes and sponsors you remember!

{EMtNOLE f-/EtGHTI GA�R.JEr OPEN TOD,'t.Y 3 PM - f PM Cl IC ([HTAl/l llrlHUl (IITllHIII, /111 ' 1111,1 2J,_QJOO ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• NEW HEIGHTS GAl,l,ERY featuring Jack Casey 6310 n. oebraska ave. 234-9758 ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• PHOENIX · GLASS STUDIO 811 e. lino(Cwooc! a.ve. 237-3473 ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• G� ON FLORIDA
Other Historic Buildings in the Area Seminole Heights United Methodist Church 61 North Central Avenue Designed by well-known Tampa architect Frank Winn, this 1927 church is on the southeast corner of Central and Hanna avenues, the original site of the Seminole Heights Elementary School, which was moved across the street. This yellow brick, three-story building has a steeply pitched gable roof and triangular parapet, with a three- tiered set of steps leading to its arched portico entrance. Butress-like pilasters, two stories high, run the length of the building and are capped with cast-concrete detailing, which also appears along the parapets and vousoirs. Hilsborough High School 5000 Central Avenue Built in 1927-28, this masive red brick building was designed by local architect Francis Kennard. This Gothic Revival style structure was built to acommodate 2,000 students. The stained- glass windows i n t h e auditorium were added in the 1950s. In 1976 the building was remodeled to alow for central A/C. The walls, buttresses, spires, and tracery of the arched stained-glass windows are decorated i n cast stone. S t . Paul Lutheran Church 5103 North Central Avenue In 1927 the congregation bought this property, then the location of a farmhouse and orange grove, and began construction of the church in 1930, completing it in 1950. The brickwork delineating the front porch of the farmhouse has been preserved behind the sanctuary. The original architect's design was a full cruciform shape of greater height than this final scaled-down version. In 1988 extensive refurbishing was done in preparation for the installation of the free-standing Heissler organ. Tile floor was laid in the chancel, the nave painted and the contrasting acent line was added. The antique glass windows throughout the nave carry several liturgical colors of the Church Year — red, blue, green, gold, and purple. 5903 North Suwanee Avenue Paul and Heather Cleveland Built between 1923-24, this bungalow is one of the few in Seminole Heights whose exterior construction is poured concrete. However, many of the home's features, like the full-front porch and the south-side sun room, are typical of the neighborhood's bungalows. Large concrete drum pillars and exposed rafter tales support the porch roof. The gable end of the house, which faces the street, displays wood knee brackets and an attic v e n t with two small windows. Paul and Heather have just renovated the dining room, installing an antique tin ceiling and crown and chair-rail moldings. They've applied a faux finish to the living room, bedroom and bathroom.
6002 North Suwanee Avenue Chris and Michelle Geisler This wood frame bungalow, built in 1926, is sheathed i n wood siding and rests on brick piers. The r e c t a n g u l a r h o m e h a s a n east-side porch, whose roof is supported by wood posts set o n caped, stuccoed piers. The front gable shows a small multi-lite window flanked b y louvered vents. Knee brackets decorate t h e ends a n d center o f t h e gable. Chris and Michelle believe the house was remodeled i n 1941, when a rear utility room was added and the chimney exterior plastered over. Look for a child's hand prints in the plaster next to the date
6019 North Flora Vista Mark and Colleen Hewlet Built in 1939, this wood-frame Vernacular house is one of the few in the neighborhood with novelty siding. The roof is an intersecting gable style. The double-hung wod, 6-over-6, sash windows are original, and the west windows have decorative wood panel shutters. This house is one o f the last builron the block. Mark and Colleen renovated the kitchen i n October, combining the original kitchen with an attached sun room. They say the remodeling has created a more open space; and, combined with the new floors, cabinets, and counter tops, makes t h e house feel updated while retaining its original charm. The previous owners, Frank and Mary Moore, raised seven children in the house and had lived in it since 1940. Mark and Colleen say they are pleased to have a home in Seminole Heights:
1009 East Clifton Avenue Louanne and Micl1.ael Sparr Buili around 1939, this house is also a Minimal Traditional wood-frame building on brick piers with cement-asbestos shingle siding. Tht· portico entrance has paired. square, wooden columns. The 1wo-liay, wood-frame, gabled garage is original co the house. The siding and che louvered shuuers probably were added at a lacer dace. Louanne and Mich.id c.1II cheir home a
5109 North Branch Avenue Virginia Overstreet Built before 1922, this house is a one-story Colonial Revival bungalow with a port corchere on the south side. The front portico features a cliped gable with dentile detailing. The original front door has multi-lites and is flanked b y matching side- lites. Its construction is wod-frame with weatherboard siding and brick pier foundations. Former owners of the house include a manager for the Florida Sales Company, an architect, a teacher and an assistant superintendent of the Tampa Public School Administration. The curent owner, Virginia, likes the hardwod floors, the original double-hung sash windows, and the large backyard. She replaced the front porch railings and repaired the garage door windows. She plans to repaint the baseboards and window frames.
5306 North Central Avenue Alan and Ginger Thomas This Craftsman style bungalow, built about 1915, has a camel-back or airplane room second story and a multi-gabled roof. The front porch features brick pillars, stucco and cross-bracketing at the gable end. The wood-frame house sits on brick piers and has weather board siding. It is in excellent condition w i t h m o s t o f its historic elements intact. Alan and Ginger have remodeled the bathrooms and library and have added a coffered ceiling and pool/patio entertainment area. They love t h e 1920-cra details of their home: architectural archways, built-in bokcases, nooks, and an original china cabinet with beveled glass doors.


114 Wesl Mob.awl� Avenue lvlichcllc Collins and Jason Monnino Except for the aluminum siding, this 1922 wood-frame bungalow retains most of its historic features. There is a porr cochere on rhe west side. The porch has a concrete floor and brick piers topped with wood columns. A diagonal rail is inset into the porch piers, a later bungalow feature. Wooden knee brackets support the roof and the facia board is carved ar the ends. The carport and pare of the cast side of the house display exposed rafters and a small cross gable. Windows on the front of the house are 4-over-1 ca�emenc, while double-hung 4-over- I sash windows hang in rbe rear. Boch the 15- lite door and the tin roof are probably original to the house. Michelle and Jason like tht· open floor plan of their home, along with the arch between the living room and dining room and the crown molding throughout. The hardwood tloors, Italian ceramic tik, and tin roof arc some of their favorite katurcs of the house. They also appreciate the new plumbing, elecn-ical wiring and central A/C:. The

New OSHNA Merch!


 Support the Seminole Heights Elementary PTA and show off your neighborhood pride with a new selection of branded merchandise! There's lots of cool stuff to buy with both our logo and the school's, so check it out.

Visit The Store

Porch Party Hosts Needed!

Hosting the monthly OSHNA Porch Party is one of the easiest and most fun ways to get involved in the neighborhood. With the Neighborhood Involvement Committee volunteers handling most of the arrangements, they aren't much work, either! To sign up to host, check out the link to the form in the button below.

Sign Up To Host

Upcoming Events

As always, check our events calendar on Facebook or OldSeminoleHeights.org .

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If there is something you know happening in Old Seminole Heights or of interest to your neighbors,  send it to us . We are happy to add items to our calendar.

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