Oliva Tobacco Co. was started in October 1934 by Angel Oliva Sr. and brothers Jose and Emilio Sanchez. They were soon joined by Angel’s brothers, Martin and Marcelino.  The company imported tobacco from Cuba before the U.S. trade embargo in 1962, supplying many of Tampa’s cigar manufacturers. The embargo completely cut off the trade of the “Candela” wrapper, preferred by cigar aficionados. They pivoted to finding farmers in Connecticut and eventually in Nicaragua.

Oliva purchased this building at 1313 8th Ave in 1947 for $10,000. Known as Casa Bomberos (Fireman's House), it was originally the Tampa Fire Department Station No. 2, built in 1888. The company’s website states that Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders’ horses were stabled here before the launch of the Spanish-American War.

Oliva moved in the mid-1970s. From 1978 to 2001, their headquarters was located in the former R. Monne and Bro. Cigar Factory at the southeast corner of Palm Ave and 18th St (Angel Oliva Blvd.) Many know it as the building with “Home of Swann Cigars” on it since the moniker has been placed on the brilliantly remodeled structure that is now an apartment building.

In 1975, the 1500 sq ft firehouse was advertised for rent for $300 per month (with utilities). It was freshly renovated and was strategically located across the street from the newly opened Ybor Square, the former Ybor Cigar factory. Harris Mullen, former publisher of Florida Trend Magazine and developer of the square, purchased the firehouse in 1981. He had a grand scheme for Ybor City, envisioning the blocks around Ybor Square and his Rough Riders restaurant growing into a vibrant place where people would shop during the day and return to the district for nightlife. Ybor Square flourished and faded within a decade. It is now the Tampa home for the Church of Scientology.

The building was a long-time neighbor to the music-centric and uber-popular New World Brewery, which opened at 1311 8th Ave in the mid-1990s.

Guitarists John Wesley and Mark Pretor started Red Room Recording Studio in 2000. They remodeled and moved into the firehouse building in 2012 but had moved by 2015. New World closed up shop around 2017, and that building was demolished. The firehouse remained but sat vacant. According to Realtor.com, it last sold in 2016 for $1 million. In 2017, major remodeling began, stripping away the stucco that had covered the red brick for years, revealing the firehouse's beautiful but beat-up exterior once again.

By 2020, the four-story, 33-residential unit Casa Pedroso/Casa Bomberos project was being built where New World and their parking lot were. As part of that same project, the original firehouse façade was removed and replaced with modern red brick and Roman architectural detail. The original firehouse door was replaced with an arched doorway in the middle of the façade with a single door on either side. The new crown of the building was emblazoned with TFD Station No. 2, a tip of the hat to the structure's storied past. When it opens, the ground floor will house the boutique brewery Sky Puppy Brewing.

The third generation of the Oliva family now runs the company, which is located in the beautifully restored Garcia-Vega Cigar factory at 3104 N Armenia Ave.

© 2024. Chip Weiner. oldtampaphotos.com