Samuel L. Davis Cigar Factory

The Samuel L. Davis Cigar Factory is an abandoned factory in Tampa, Florida. It was built in 1911 and has been abandoned for over 30 years. It neared completion in 1910 but a fire broke out and burned everything down except the tower. The building has been owned by multiple companies including Davis Bros. Cigar Co., Gradia, Annis & Co., Santaella & Co., and Sunstate Sportswear.

Samuel L. Davis was born in New York City and became a salesman for the Julius Ellinger Company. In 1886, when he was 24, he established his company. He operated factories in New York City, Western New York, and Tampa. In 1906, he partnered with his brother Fred Davis and they changed the name of the business to the Davis Bros. Cigar Co. The brothers also operated two other factories, the Joyce Cigar Co. factory and the Balbin Bros. factory, which had over 600 employees and were planning to expand. Construction of the factory, which was designed by Fred J. James, began in 1909. James also designed the Y. Penda & Alvarez factory. As noted above, a fire razed the entire building except the tower in May 1910, delaying completion until 1911. Another setback came in October 1910 when an arsonist set fire to the Balbin Bros. factory. The workers at that factory moved to the new one once it was finished.

As of 2023, it appears the building is still up for sale and its market value is around $1.3 million dollars. JMC Property Investments Inc. has owned it since 1994.

"Samuel L. Davis Cigar Factory." Abandoned Florida. January 14th 2020. Accessed February 3rd 2020. https://www.abandonedfl.com/samuel-i-davis-cigar-factory.

Reyes, W. “Anatomy of a Cigar Factory.” Tampa Cigar Factories, 5 Dec. 2019, https://www.museumofcigars.com/anatomy_bldg.html