Preserving a Cornerstone of Tampa's Industrial Heritage

Situated in the heart of Ybor City, Tampa's most significant historical district, the Church of Scientology Tampa occupies the historic Ybor Square complex. Originally constructed in 1886 as the city's first brick cigar factory by Vicente Martinez-Ybor, the complex played a pivotal role in Tampa's emergence as a global center for cigar manufacturing. The three-story structure was once the largest cigar factory in the world, employing thousands of skilled tabaqueros who hand-rolled cigars in sunlit rolling rooms.

Over the decades, the building witnessed the rise and decline of the cigar industry, later serving various purposes before being acquired by the Church of Scientology in 2010. The Church undertook a meticulous restoration to preserve the building's historical integrity while adapting it for contemporary use. Today, the 88,000-square-foot facility stands as a testament to Tampa's rich cultural tapestry and the enduring legacy of Ybor City.

Austin Historical's Restoration Scope

The project encompassed the full restoration of 319 windows, including 628 sash and over 3,000 individual glass lites across multiple structures—known as the Stemmery, Factory, and Lookout buildings. Our team carefully removed, repaired, and refinished each window system in accordance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards, addressing both wood and steel components. Window sashes were stripped, repaired with epoxy or replacement wood as needed, treated for rot, reglazed with annealed glass, and hand-finished with traditional glazing putty and acrylic paint.

In areas where deterioration was beyond repair, we fabricated custom sash and jambs from rot-resistant Accoya wood using traditional mortise and tenon joinery, matching the original profiles and dimensions. We also built and will install over 200 AustinShield impact-rated storm windows across the property, fabricated from Accoya and glazed with polycarbonate for increased protection and energy efficiency. In addition, the scope included the restoration and replication of both wood and steel exterior trims, select transom windows, and multiple historic entry doors. All doors and sashes were refinished using appropriate primers and paints, and existing hardware was restored and reinstalled where possible. Engineering documents, lead-safe protocols, and a full performance bond supported the successful delivery of this high-profile restoration effort within the Ybor City Historic District.