German emigré Samuel Seidenberg became the first cigar manufacturer in Key West (1867) and produced the popular La Rosa Espaniola cigar; it soared quickly to the top of clear Havana production. In 1894, Seidenberg moved from Key West to Tampa due to labor problems and built the 35,000 square foot Seidenberg Cigar Company factory.[su_pullquote]Brands: La Rosa Espanola, Virginia Lee, La Flor de Cuba[/su_pullquote]
Eventually, Seidenberg & Co. headquartered in New York and run by Samuel’s brother, Joseph, became one of the largest cigar manufacturers in the United States, employing from 1,500 to 2,000 men. They had factories up and down the East Coast.
Photo Gallery (click images for full view)
At one time, in the 1990’s and early 2000’s the factory was the home of the Ybor City Brewing Company. At the time of my original post this building was used as office space for Wilson Miller, an architectural firm.
2020 Update: The Seidenberg Cigar Company factory is now the office space for Transferwise.