Block bounded by East Bay, Columbus, Blake and Drake Sts., Charleston, South Carolina. County/parish: Charleston.
Added to the National Register of Historic Places November 25, 1980. NRIS 80003658.
4 contributing buildings. 2 contributing structures.Also known as:
The Cigar Factory is a historic industrial building at 701 East Bay Street in Charleston, South Carolina. It was constructed in 1881 and opened in 1882 as the Cotton Mill of Charleston. 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. In the 1940s, it was the location of the 1945–1946 Charleston Cigar Factory strike where the civil rights anthem "We Shall Overcome" emerged. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980, and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2024.
A $30 million redevelopment of the structure began in 2014. By 2017, the factory was mostly leased. Current businesses in the building include restaurants, salons, an event venue, and an ophthalmologist's office.
(read more...)National Park Service documentation: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/118997319