The historic Jackson Boarding House was originally constructed as a private residence by Moses and Sarah Jackson in the late 1890s. It was converted by the family for use as a boarding house, with the Jacksons living in the home as well. That conversion may have begun as early as 1910, but the house grew in importance and in physical size after the opening of Tampa Union Station, a railroad passenger and freight station.
The proximity of the Jacksons’ boarding house to the new railroad station – less than one block to the east – provided much-needed accommodations for African American railroad workers and visitors to Tampa. During this time, and through the early 1960s, African Americans were prohibited from staying in white hotels, motels, and boarding houses. Properties like the Jackson Boarding House played a crucial role during the segregation era, and though it was not the only boarding house (or hotel) for Blacks visiting Tampa, it is the only one that remains standing.
The Jackson Family retained the building throughout its time as a boarding house, which concluded in the 1990s, and then maintained it as a private residence until 2010.