This massive structure is Tampa's county courthouse. It's named for the first African-American county judge in Hillsborough County. He was appointed to the bench in 1973 but sadly passed away three years later. It serves as the main courthouse for Florida's 13th Judicial Circuit and features a bronze bust of Edgecomb in its lobby, as well as a Lady Justice statue outside its front doors. Florida's Thirteenth District Court goes back to the earliest courthouse for Hillsborough County that was a log cabin that was destroyed during the Second Seminole War. There was a replacement built in 1847. That was replaced by a red brick courthouse in 1892 and then a 1952 courthouse. In 1999, the Commissioners gave final approval for the latest Courthouse Facilities Project, which provided for new construction and renovation of existing buildings in downtown Tampa. The new construction, in 2004, included a six-story Family/Civil Court Building, which provides over 268,000 gross square feet of space for the courts and related agencies. There is street parking and a parking deck nearby. Nothing is free. [Review 336 of 2025 - 1991 in Florida - 23898 overall] read more