The Doby House
1405 W. Azeele Street
The Doby House, located at 1405 W. Azeele Street, is being considered for Tampa Local Historic Landmark status.
The c.1912 Doby House stands as a testament to a once-thriving Black American neighborhood. The house derives significance from its association with Richard C. Doby, a prominent businessman and property owner, who owned the property in the 1920s. Doby’s contributions to the neighborhood and to the greater Black Tampa community led to the neighborhood being named in his honor. Dobyville, with a population nearing 3,000 residents in the mid-1920s, was considered one of the finer segregated Black neighborhoods. Dobyville had its own churches and schools to serve its population.
The house at 1405 W. Azeele Street stands as the last extant historic building associated with Doby. The house is a modest wood frame structure, much like the other houses that were constructed throughout the neighborhood. Therefore, this property is significant under National Register Criterion A in the areas of Community Planning & Development and under Criterion B in the area of Ethnic Heritage. The Doby House meets the criteria under Section 27-257 of the City of Tampa Code of Ordinances and is eligible for Local Historic Landmark Designation.