United Cigar Manufacturing Company
Also known as: General Cigar Company; York City Cigar Company
Why it's listed
Built in 1907 for the United Cigar Manufacturing Company, this three-story brick factory on North Penn and Smyser Streets in York City was one of the first large cigar plants established in the city by a national firm. Its open interior floors housed every stage of hand cigar production, from stemming tobacco on the first floor to drying and packing on the third. Corbeled brickwork, segmentally arched windows and a shallow gable roof give the building its late-Victorian industrial character. Cigars were last made there in 1932, after which the company used the first floor for printing and leased upper floors to clothing manufacturers. The building is regarded as one of the few early-twentieth-century cigar factories still standing in York, and its reflection of the region's hand-rolled cigar trade gives it its importance. The 1919 strike at the plant, which the company settled quickly, also marks a notable episode in the local labor history of the industry.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is significant for its association with the cigar making industry in York City, where it was among the first facilities built by a large national cigar firm, and for its early-twentieth-century tobacco-related architecture, with its corbeled brick decoration and open interior spaces. It is described as one of only a handful of early-twentieth-century cigar factories remaining in the city.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 99001289, listed October 28, 1999. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 201 N. Penn St., York City |
|---|---|
| County | York County |
| Listed | October 28, 1999 |
| Reference number | 99001289 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1907-1932 |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Vacant for several years after the printing and sewing operations ended; the document also states it is undergoing conversion into an apartment house under the Investment Tax Credit for Historic Rehabilitation program. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | York Historic District |
| Coordinates | 39.96267, -76.73823 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 99001289.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7887602
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.