1925 Brochure, Temple Terrace Estates and Golf Course, Tampa Region, Florida

A scarce c. 1925 brochure for Temple Terrace Estates, a suburban area located northeast of downtown Tampa along West Busch Boulevard. This development (incorporated as a city in 1925) holds historical significance as one of the earliest golfing communities in the United States and served as a model for later real-estate developments in Florida.

A Closer Look

The brochure appears as issued, consisting of 12 illustrated pages printed in two columns and folding vertically into wrappers. Its multiple visuals have been adapted from early photographs and depict everything from the beautiful estate and its buildings to the splendid recreational activities it offered. In the centerfold, we find two small printed maps: one of Tampa, which shows the location of the Temple Terrace Estates, and a broader regional map depicting the estate’s location within the Sunshine State.

Temple Terrace Estates

The Temple Terrace Golf and Country Club opened in 1922. The course itself was designed by T. Bedelow, while the associated Country Club was designed by M. Leo Elliott. Most of the land was originally part of a 19,000-acre game preserve called Riverhills, which belonged to prominent Chicago socialite Bertha Palmer. During its early years, Temple Terrace aimed to attract northern golf enthusiasts, working from the premise that they might be interested in purchasing one of the exquisite Mediterranean Revival-style villas built on the estate grounds. These properties came with a life-long membership to the golf club and, in some cases, the opportunity to acquire a 100-tree grove for $2,000. Ninety years after its initial construction, in October 2012, the Temple Terrace Golf and Country Club was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Publication History and Census

This brochure was issued by the Temple Terrace Estates housing development and appears to have been printed by the Tourist News Press in St. Petersburg. It is rare on the market, and we have not been able to identify any examples in institutional collections.