Circulo Cubano de Tampa

El Circulo Cubano de Tampa (also known as the Cuban Club) is a historic building constructed in 1917 (to replace an earlier structure on the same site that burned down) to serve as a gathering place for Cuban immigrants in Ybor City, Tampa, Florida. It was designed by Tampa architect M. Leo Elliott. It is located at Palm Avenue and 14th Street. On November 15, 1972, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. On April 18, 2012, the AIA's Florida Chapter placed the building on its list of Florida Architecture: 100 Years. 100 Places as Cuban Club, Ybor City.[2]

Circulo Cubano de Tampa
Location10th Ave. and 14th St., Tampa, Florida
Coordinates27°57′44″N 82°26′40″W
Arealess than one acre
NRHP reference No.72000320[1]
Added to NRHPNovember 15, 1972
Informational sign in front of Cuban Club

The building has a theater and once included a bowling alley, spa, pharmacy, ballroom, library, and cantina. Decorated with imported tile, stained glass, scraffito spandrels and murals it continues the legacy of the club first established in 1902 as a mutual aid society.

In 1893, Cuban revolutionary, writer, and poet Jose Marti was visiting the building in order to gain support for his revolutionary party and movement in Cuba. During the time Marti was in the building, there was an assassination attempt on his life when two Spanish agents gave him a glass of poison. Marti survived the encounter by pure intuition and quickly forgave his would-be assassins. Today there is a plaque remembering the incident outside the western entrance to the structure.

See also

References
  1. "National Register Information System – (#72000320)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. Florida Architecture: 100 Years. 100 Places


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