America’s Oldest Family-Owned Cigar Manufacturer
Founded in 1895 by Julius Caeser Newman, J.C. Newman Cigar Company is the oldest family-owned premium cigar maker in America. For four generations and 130 years, J.C. Newman has been handcrafting many of the world’s finest cigars. J.C. Newman is headquartered in an iconic 115-year-old cigar factory in the Ybor City National Historic Landmark District in Tampa, Florida. At this factory, known as “El Reloj,” J.C. Newman rolls premium cigars both by hand and by hand-operated, antique cigar machines. El Reloj is open to the public on weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., although visitors are strongly encouraged to arrive before 3:00 p.m. when cigar rolling stops. Visiting J.C. Newman’s cigar museum, theater, and factory store is free!
When it was built in 1910, El Reloj was considered to be the largest and finest cigar factory in the world. Of Tampa’s 150 cigar factories, El Reloj is the last one still operating. Visiting El Reloj today is like walking back in time. Inside its iconic red brick exterior, the Newman family rolls cigars in El Reloj just like they have been doing for more than a century using traditional handcrafted techniques and antique, hand-operated machines.
TAMPA IS CIGAR CITY
It is hard to overstate the importance of the cigar industry to Tampa. Cigars transformed Tampa from a tiny town into a large city and made Tampa world famous. Anyone whose family has been in Tampa for more than several generations almost certainly had relatives who worked in the cigar industry, whether they rolled cigars, made cigar boxes, printed cigar labels, or supported the cigar industry in another way.
An influx of immigrants fueled Tampa’s growth in the early 1900s. They brough their languages, cultures, and traditions with them. Ybor City became a place where people from around the world lived and worked together.
Ybor City is the only neighborhood on Florida’s west coast to be designated a National Historic Landmark District. Ybor’s 7th Avenue, the main commercial thoroughfare was recognized as one of the “10 Great Streets in America”!
Host Your Private Event With Us
Built in 1910, J.C. Newman’s El Reloj factory seamlessly blends modern amenities with original architectural features. Offering three floors of event spaces, each area is distinct and striking enough to be used with minimal decorations or serve as a beautiful backdrop to your unique vision.