Eduardo H. Gato House
Posted by: 
xptwo
N 24° 32.835 W 081° 47.791
17R E 419329 N 2715049
The Eduardo H. Gato House was built around 1894 and served as a private residence, a hospital and guest house.
Waymark Code: WMGT1D
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 04/06/2013
Views: 29
Located at the intersection of South Street and Duval Street, this marker can be seen on the grounds of the Gato House. Those going to the Southernmost Point marker will probably walk right past it, just as we did. It is listed on U.S. National Register of Historic Places and has been known as a residence, Mercedes Hospital and El Patio Apartments.
The text of the marker is:
Eduardo H. Gato House
This house, with its elaborate Queen Anne style detailing, was built c. 1894 by E. H. Gato, Sr. (1847-1926). The Gato family was one of Key West's most prominent families, and three generations of the family lived here until 1951. Eduardo H. Gato was a Cuban patriot who helped finance Cuba's revolutionary leaders including Jose mart, who fought for freedom from Spain. Gato came to Key West in 1874. He was instrumental in Key West's evolution from a small fishing town to one of Florida's wealthiest cities through his development of the Cuban tobacco industry. he built Key West's foremost cigar factory, where millions of cigars, using tobacco imported from Cuba, were hand rolled and boxed for shipment worldwide. In 1917, he built the first fireproof cigar factory on Simonton Street and constructed a nearby "city" of fram cigar workers' cottages, the Barrio de Gato, or Gatoville. Gato was president of the E. H. Gato Cigar Co.; vice-president of the Key West Bank; and proprietor of the Key West Street Car, a horse-drawn system. Eduardo H. Gato Jr. (1874-1948) served as vice-president of the E. H. Gato Cigar Company and oversaw the extensive Gato real estate holdings.
A Florida Heritage Site
Sponsored by the Santiago Family
and the Florida Department of State
F-765 2013
Marker Number: F-765
Date: 2013
County: Monroe
Marker Type: City
Sponsored or placed by: The Santiago Family and the Florida Department of State
Website: [Web Link]
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Visit Instructions:
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