L'unione Italiana (Italian Club)
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N 27° 57.612 W 082° 26.362
17R E 358417 N 3093627
L'unione Italiana (Italian Club) historic marker located at 1731 7th Avenue, Ybor City, Tampa.
Waymark Code: WM5WHF
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 02/20/2009
Views: 19
The nucleus of Tampas Italian colony arrived from New Orleans and Sicily in 1887. Founded I 1894, the primary purpose of L'Unione Italiana was to promote social and fraternal exchange among its members, and to provide medical benefits and burial expenses for its members. Health care benefits provided by Ybor Citys social clubs represent early examples of Americas health maintenance organizations and one of the oldest examples of cooperative medicine in the country. LUnione Italiana is considered the forerunner of more than 1,400 Italian mutual aid societies founded in the United States. In 1914 fire destroyed the first club hose built on the northwest corner of Seventh Avenue and Eighteenth Street. By 1918 the Society built the present three-story Neoclassical building across 7th Avenue from the original site at a cost of $80,000. The structure embraces the Italo-Greco tradition embodied in the ancient Greek temples found in the province of Agrigento, Sicily. Its theatre, ballroom, library and cantina were always beehives of activity. It stands today as a source of pride and commitment to early Italian immigrants.
Sponsors: Historic Tampa/Hillsborough County Preservation Board and the Florida Department of State
Marker Number: None
Date: None
County: Hillsborough
Marker Type: Roadside
Sponsored or placed by: Historic Tampa/Hillsborough County Preservation Board and the Florida Department of State
Website: Not listed
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