Help us preserve Tampa Bay’s story for future generations

Dear friends of the Tampa Bay History Center,

My great-grandfather, Beman Beckwith, was born in Tampa in 1891 and planted deep roots in our growing city. He founded one of Tampa’s earliest automobile companies as well as a fine jewelry business, both of them anchoring the bustle of downtown in its early years. In 1915, he married my great-grandmother, Barbara Parkhill, and together they settled into a family home on Bay to Bay Boulevard—a home that still stands today.

When I was very young, I remember listening wide-eyed to their stories of grand parties at the Floridan Hotel and of flying their plane out of Drew Field. They welcomed a daughter, my grandmother, in 1921. She graduated from Plant High School in 1939 and later worked at Hillsborough High School. Both of my parents graduated from Chamberlain High School and attended the University of South Florida, and twenty years later, I followed in their footsteps.

Growing up in Tampa meant summer beach days with sandwiches picked up from The Columbia, and holidays spent driving up and down “The Bayshore” just to see the Christmas lights (I still do this!). I remember a Tampa before it had a performing arts center, before the aquarium, before there was an arena and long before the Tampa Bay History Center was created. Oh how I wish my great-grandparents could see Tampa today—how proud they would be of the city they helped shape more than a century ago!

So when I say thank you for supporting the Tampa Bay History Center, it comes from a deeply personal place. Your generosity helps preserve and share the stories, places, and legacies that built this remarkable community. Our mission is possible only because of you.

And we hope you’ll share your own stories with us. Our promise is to continue earning your pride and trust as we protect our shared history—whether your Tampa roots stretch back generations or you’ve only recently made this place your home. Together, we strengthen our collective understanding of who we are, where we come from, and what makes this community special.

PRESERVE LOCAL HISTORY: DONATE NOW

As you consider your year-end giving, I ask that you include the History Center. Thank you, truly, for caring about history. Thank you for allowing this kid from Tampa to work at my dream job, right here in my beloved hometown.

With gratitude,

Lisa-Perry Richardson
Chief Development Officer