Ybor Factory Building facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Ybor Factory Building
|
|
 |
|
 Location in Florida
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | |
|---|---|
| Area | less than one acre |
| Architect | C. E. Parcell |
| NRHP reference No. | 72000323 |
| Added to NRHP | November 15, 1972 |
The Ybor Factory Building is a very old and important place in Tampa, Florida, United States. You can find it at 1911 North 13th Street. This big factory and its other buildings cover a whole city block. They are located between 8th and 9th Avenues and 13th and 14th Streets. This area is part of the Ybor City Historic District neighborhood. A person named C. E. Parcell is known for designing this building.
Contents
The Factory's Story: A Look Back
This factory was built in 1886 by Vicente Martinez-Ybor. He decided to move his cigar making business here. His famous "Príncipe de Gales" (Prince of Wales) cigars were made here. He moved the business from Key West to a new town he started in 1885. This new town was just northeast of Tampa.
Building the Biggest Cigar Factory
The Ybor Factory Building was the first brick cigar factory in Tampa. It had three stories and was very large. At the time, it was the biggest cigar factory in the entire world! The main office for Ybor's company was also nearby. It was right across 9th Avenue in the El Pasaje building.
For many years, skilled tabaqueros (cigar makers) worked here. They rolled hundreds of millions of cigars. They worked on wooden tables in big, sunny rooms.
Changes Over Time
Vicente Martinez-Ybor passed away in 1896. After that, other companies owned the building. It kept making cigars for a long time. But after World War II, the cigar business started to slow down. The Ybor City area also became less busy.
For a few decades, the buildings were empty. Then, artists used them as studios and galleries. In the mid-1970s, it became a shopping area called Ybor Square. On November 15, 1972, the Ybor Factory building was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's a special historic site in the U.S..
In 2002, the buildings were changed into office spaces. A restaurant called Spaghetti Warehouse was also there until 2016. In 2010, a group bought the building for its offices.
Images for kids
-
The factory around 1916
-
Jose Marti (center) with cigar workers in 1893
-
A historical marker at the site
