The West Tampa Branch Library on the southwest corner of  N. Howard Avenue and Union Street is currently being restored. (2004)

Visit the library web site

West Tampa was originally called Pino City which was founded by brothers Manuel and Fernando J. del Pino. They built their first cigar factory here on this site in June of 1892.   Because of lack of housing, transportation and convenient access, it closed in 1893.  Later that year, O'Halloran Cigar Company moved from Chicago into the vacant del Pino brothers building.  The O'Halloran cigar factory burned down in 1901 as a result of arson during a workers strike.  In 1902 the Fernandez Brothers opened a factory here.   This closed in 1909, and it burned down in May of that year.  In 1913, this became the site of the West Tampa Public Library, seen here.

Click on the plaque to read it