Ballast Point
5300 Interbay Boulevard
In the early 1800s, Ballast Point was known as Jules Verne Park in honor of Mrs. Chester Chapin’s favorite author. Chapin and her husband developed the area into a park to include a pavilion, gazebo, and pier. Its current name refers to the shallow area of water that required ships to lower their ballast in order to pass through. The location was also named for the Battle of Ballast Point during the Civil War, in which six confederate soldiers lost their lives. The first clubhouse of the Tampa Yacht and Country Club was built at Ballast Point in 1905. The pavilion, which was decorated in an Asian theme, was damaged by a hurricane in 1921 and destroyed by fire years after. The City of Tampa restored the gazebo, which still stands. Ballast Point was annexed by Tampa in 1953.