Thompson and Company Building, 200 North Edison Avenue

Thompson and Company Building, 400 N Edison Ave.

View of Thompson and Company Building at northwest corner of North Edison Avenue and North A Street. 1923. Burgert Brothers. Courtesy, Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System

University of Tampa Facilities Department, 200 N Edison Ave. 2021. © Chip Weiner

In 1923, cigars remained a booming industry for the city of Tampa. Thompson & Company was a mail-order cigar firm, and business was brisk. They opened this new office, warehouse, and printing facility in November of that year in Hyde Park. Newspaper reports claim over 4,000 people attended their open house, where an orchestra played and punch was served. At the same time, “lady visitors received beautiful roses and cigars were handed to each masculine caller.” The company grew to one of the largest cigar mail-order houses in the U.S. and remains in business today.

The adjacent University of Tampa leased the 23,227-square-foot building for its Facilities Management department. They then bought it in 2011 for $1.59 million.

From Burgert Brothers: Look Again, Vol.2