Arturo Fuente Cigar Factory

This cigar factory in Ybor City seems to have gone by different names over the years.  Built in 1895, it was originally home to Garcia Brothers & Co.  Later another company manufactured the Charles the Great brand here, and the building is sometimes referred to as the “Charles the Great” Cigar Factory.  The Arturo Fuente Cigar Company operated here from the 1960s through the 1990s.

The building has been beautifully restored by its current occupant, the Tampa Sweethearts Cigar Company, also founded by Arturo Fuente.

I’ve read that the cupola, seen on top of the building in the above photo, was used to watch for the arrival of ships carrying tobacco from Cuba.  More details on this building’s history can be found at the Tampa Cigar Examiner and the Abandoned Florida site.