West Tampa Library

The West Tampa Branch Library originally opened on January 1, 1914 as the West Tampa Free Public Library, making it the first public library in Hillsborough County. Funded through a $17,500 grant from Andrew Carnegie and built on land donated by local cigar-factory owner Angel Cuesta, the building was designed in a Neoclassical Revival style, featuring a dignified brick façade and classical detailing. Over the years, it served a richly diverse and working-class community, with English, Spanish, and Italian reading sections reflecting the cultural character of West Tampa’s cigar industry era. After the City of Tampa annexed West Tampa in 1925, the library became part of the broader Tampa public library system. In the early 2000s, the building underwent a major restoration and expansion—adding some 5,000 square feet, improving accessibility, and renewing original architectural features—while preserving the historic core. All Trades Historic Restoration has been granted the honor of preserving this Tampa institution and has overseen the most recent of its renovations.