Freedom Tower (Miami) - Definition and Overview

The Freedom Tower is a building in Miami, Florida that serves as a memorial to Cuban immigration.

Originally completed in 1925 as the headquarters and printing facility of the Miami News & Metropolis newspaper, it is an example of Mediterranean Revival style with design elements borrowed from the Giralda Tower in Seville, Spain. Its cupola on a 255 foot tower contained a decorative beacon.

In the 1950s the newspaper failed and the building was vacated. As refugees from the Castro regime came to Miami, the federal government used the facility to process, document and provide medical and dental services for the immigrants. After the first major wave of immigration had passed, the government sold the building in the 1970s. Passing through several owners, the dilapidated building was eventually abandoned until 1997 when a prominent and controversial member of the Cuban-American community, Jorge Mas Canosa, purchased the building for USD $4.1 million.

The building was restored and converted into a monument for the refugees who fled to the United States from communist Cuba. It houses a museum, library, meeting hall, and the offices of the Cuban American National Foundation.

External links

• Cuban American National Foundation (http://www.canf.org/principal-ingles.htm)
• Photos of Freedom Tower (http://www.rjha.net/freeedom_page.htm)
• Giralda Tower (http://www.allposters.com/gallery.asp?aid=599368&item=119989)