The Tarpon Springs Greektown Traditional Cultural District: The National Register Nomination and the Battle of the Sponge Docks

Since 1905, Tarpon Springs’ Greektown Historic District has been significant for its tenacious continuity of Greek traditional culture. In 2014, it became Florida’s first Traditional Cultural Property listed on the National Register and the nation’s first non-indigenous TCP district. The essay examines local issues surrounding the district and its development, as well as the National Register nomination process and the role it played in saving Greektown from culturally destructive gentrification.