Using technology, grassroots support to save historic cigar factory

(Polk County Democrat) A combination of Internet technology and old-fashioned grassroots support are being used to try to save one of Bartow’s historic landmarks. Each week a group of volunteers meets to discuss plans and find new ways to raise at least $50,000 to fund initial preservation of the Thompson & Co. Cigar Factory, the first mechanized cigar manufacturing plant in Florida and one of only two Mission Revival style commercial buildings left in the state. Being on the National Register of Historic Places isn’t enough to save the building, but the designation does help the cause, giving recognition to its importance in the nation’s industrial and architectural history. Continued