Freedom Tower
Freedom Tower
Nestled in the heart of Miami is the Freedom Tower. Approximately four-hundred thousand Cuban refugees were processed at this facility. They walked through the halls of the Freedom Tower between the early 1960's and the late 1970's. Considered Miami's "Ellis Island," the Freedom Tower served the immigrants as a processing center in the city of Miami. These immigrants would eventually become the largest foreign-born minority in Miami-Dade County.
The Freedom Tower is aptly named as it is indeed a symbol of freedom for many immigrants and their descendants. Originally being the home of the Miami News and Metropolis it was taken over by the government when the paper went out of business. The US Government took over the tower as a place to take care of the influx of immigrants that emigrated to American during the Castro regime.
In the early 1980s, the building ceased being an immigration processing center and was abandoned and became a mainstay for the local homeless population to use as shelter. The Freedom Tower fell into complete disrepair and was declared structurally unsound.
Then in 1997, the tower was purchased by a local Miami Family with plans to have the Freedom Tower renovated and made into a monument to the trials of Cuban Americans in America. Today, the Freedom Tower is structurally sound as well as beautiful. It stands as a monument to Cuban Americans not only in Miami but all over the country. Thanks to the wonderful renovations this dynamic and historically rich structure will be around for many generations to enjoy and learn about the richness of the Cuban experience.
