255 N 3rd Ave
Bartow, FL 33830

The Thompson & Company Cigar Factory was built in Bartow, FL in 1925 by Mark A. Thompson thru the Cuban American Corporation, which he helped organize in Tampa about 1923. Following the opening of Thompson's cigar factory in Ybor City (Tampa), he expanded the company's operations into Bartow. Cigar manufacturing in the Bartow plant remained in operation until September of 1961. Since that time, the cigar factory has served as the headquarters for Bartow's American Legion Post #3, then a commodities distribution warehouse for Polk County and for 15 years it was used as a warehouse for social services. The Thompson & Company Cigar Factory was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 9, 2002, by the Florida State Historic Preservation Office. Ownership of the factory building was conveyed to the City of Bartow in 2011. The City of Bartow is looking for a development partner who will be able to appreciate the opportunities this property can offer as an urban redevelopment project that would continue to keep its history alive. The City of Bartow is willing to work with such a development partner regarding any zoning issues that may need to be modified or changed and will offer any incentives available to make this a successful partnership. Contact me today to discuss further.