A home that once belonged to the president of popular Maas Brothers Department stores, which for decades called itself "Greater Tampa's Greatest Store," is now for sale.
Located at 4901 New Providence Ave., the estate was completed in 1976, and was first owned by Frank Wendell Harvey and his wife Patricia. Harvey was the president of Maas Brothers and vice president of Allied Corp. until his retirement in 1987, just a few years before the department store giant filed for bankruptcy. Harvey, who passed away in 2012, was also chairman of the Tampa Chamber of Commerce in the early '80s.
The home has had a few owners since, and has also witnessed a few upgrades. The 4,986-square-foot home comes with five bedrooms and six bathrooms, as well as a grand two-story foyer, deep water canal frontage, and a large pool and spa.
Harvey was at the helm of Maas Brothers during its final chapter. In its heyday, Maas Brothers was a household name, especially on Florida's west coast. Founded by Abe and Isaac Maas in 1886, at its peak Maas Brothers had over 39 stores, including its flagship location in downtown Tampa at the corner of Zack Street and Tampa Street. This was the company's largest store, and at the time was the second largest department store in Florida. It also was home to the state's first escalator.
Unfortunately, the downtown location was demolished in 2006 for condos that never happened and now all that's left of this iconic building is a city-owned parking lot. However, you can still see the original downtown Maas Brother's sign at the Tampa History Center, and there are some great photos of the store, thanks to the Burgert Brothers Photographic Collection.
In 1986, the year Maas Brothers celebrated its 100 year milestone, the store's ownership, Allied, witnessed its first of a series of corporate takeovers, which eventually turned the company into a shell of its former self. Over the next few years, Maas Brothers was completely liquidated and consolidated into the Burdines department store chain, which eventually became Macy's in 2005.
While most traces of Maas Brothers are long gone, a few original locations are still standing, like the Macy's at Westshore Plaza, the Macy's at Tyrone Square, and the Dillards at University Mall, to name a few.
The Harvey House is currently asking $3,750,000, and the listing agent is Mary Kelly of Smith & Associates Real Estate.
Photos via Zillow
