Among the dealers of tobacco and snuff in early 20th century St. John's, the Imperial Tobacco Company was one of the most easily recognized and the most important. Formed originally through a merger between Empire Tobacco of Quebec and the American Tobacco Company, the Imperial Tobacco Company's first St. John's branch was established by James H. Monroe in 1903. Located on the corner of Bond and Flavin Streets, the building was subsequently destroyed by fire and rebuilt in 1910. By 1906, it was the only tobacco factory in Newfoundland, producing over 800,000 cigarettes a year.

After confederation, the loss of tariff protection, stiff competition from central Canadian manufacturers, and an increase in labour and transportation costs forced the factory to close.

The buildings were then converted to a sales and shipping office, all processing having been moved to the mainland in a cost-cutting strategy. Once an imposing and powerful commercial building, the Imperial Tobacco factory was neglected and suffered damage. The stonework, once elegant, became marred and took on a lackluster quality. The restoration work undertaken by Reardon Construction has returned the exterior of the building to a certain grandeur.

As one of the few poured-concrete industrial buildings in the province, the project of its restoration and maintenance must be commended as a more-than-worthwhile endeavor. The exterior has been brought back to its original calibre, with stylistic appropriate additions and minimal changes. The restoration of the exterior and the adaptive re-use of the interior of the Imperial has given new life to this fine building, which has played an important role in Newfoundland's commercial past.