Cigar Factory
United States historic place / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Cigar Factory is a building on the National Historical Register.[1] Located at 701 East Bay Street, Charleston, South Carolina, USA, it was constructed in 1881 and opened in 1882 as the Cotton Mill of Charleston.[2][3] In 1912, it was purchased by the American Cigar Company who converted it into a cigar factory that was the largest private employer in Charleston during the 1930s.[4] In the 1940s, it was the location of the 1945–1946 Charleston Cigar Factory strike where the civil rights anthem "We Shall Overcome" emerged.[5]
Cigar Factory | |
Location | 701 East Bay St., Charleston, South Carolina |
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Coordinates | 32°47′52.0116″N 79°56′4.8078″W |
Built | 1882 |
Architect | A. D. Lockwood & Company |
Architectural style | Victorian commercial |
NRHP reference No. | 80003658 |
A $30 million redevelopment of the structure began in 2014. By 2017, the factory was mostly leased.[6] Current businesses in the building include restaurants, salons, an event venue, and an ophthalmologist's office.[7][8]