moved away as the Tampa Heights neighborhood had entered a period of serious decline. Efforts to reverse the downward trend in the neighborhood began in the 1990s, resulting in the establishment of the Tampa Heights Historic District at both the local and national levels. Church building The historic church building was erected in 1922 and dedicated in February, 1923. The Reverend William C. Richardson, MD, a retired physician-turned-priest, personally spearheaded the construction of the church, even purchasing and donating the land. He selected architect Louis A. Fort to design the Gothic Revival church, including a tower, battlements, and stained glass windows. The church building is unique in its construction, with concrete walls on the interior, and exterior walls composed entirely of flint rock, stacked with mortar. The rocks were collected from the bottom of the Hillsborough River where it empties into the bay, however, the rocks did not occur there naturally. The rocks came from all around the world aboard the sailing ships of centuries past, and wound up in Tampa as the ships discarded ballast from their hulls. Because of the striking stonework exterior, the building is occasionally referred to as "The Rock Church." The building's official listing with the National Register of Historic Places is under the name "Episcopal House of Prayer", since the historic status was determined prior to the merger of churches which created today's St. James House of Prayer Episcopal Church. See also Episcopal Diocese of Southwest Florida Tampa Heights Historic District References External links Hillsborough County listings at National Register of Historic Places Florida's Office of Cultural and Historical Programs Hillsborough County listings Episcopal House of Prayer Tampa Heights Historic District map St. James House of Prayer Episcopal Church Churches in Tampa, Florida Episcopal church buildings in Florida African-American history of Florida Bahamian-American culture in Florida Caribbean-American culture in Tampa, Florida Cuban-American culture in Tampa, Florida National Register of Historic Places in Tampa, Florida Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in Florida Churches completed in 1922 20th-century Episcopal church buildings Christian organizations established in 1997 Gothic Revival church buildings in Florida 1922 establishments in Florida Individually listed contributing properties to historic districts on the National Register in Florida