Fremont Trolley Barn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fremont Trolley Barn |
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Fremont Trolley Barn in 2017
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| Former names | Redhook Ale Brewery |
| Alternative names | Theo Chocolate |
| General information | |
| Location | 3400 Phinney Ave N. Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 47°39′03″N 122°21′15″W / 47.65083°N 122.35417°W |
| Completed | 1905 |
| Designated: | September 20, 1989 |
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The Fremont Trolley Barn is a historic building in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle, Washington. It was first built to be a maintenance and storage place for trolley cars. Over the years, this building has been used for many different things. It was once a warehouse and even a garage for garbage trucks.
Many people remember it as the home of Redhook Ale, a company that made beer. Redhook brewed beer here from 1988 to 1998. Today, the building is where Theo Chocolate makes its delicious chocolate. The Fremont Trolley Barn was named a Seattle Landmark on September 20, 1989, which means it's an important historical building.
Contents
History of the Fremont Trolley Barn
Early Days as a Streetcar Home
The Fremont Trolley Barn was built in 1905. A company from Boston called Stone & Webster designed it. The building cost about $31,225 at the time. That would be like $850,000 today!
This large building was first used to store Seattle's streetcars. Its big yard could hold up to 60 streetcars. It also had rooms for the train workers and a shop to fix the streetcars.
From Streetcars to Buses
Seattle's streetcar system grew very big. By the mid-1930s, there were over 400 streetcars. But the streetcars started to get old and break down. So, the city decided to switch to buses and trackless trolleys.
The very last streetcar entered the barn on April 13, 1941. After that, the United States Army used the building. They stored supplies there during World War II.
New Uses: Garbage Trucks and Beer
After the war, the Seattle Disposal Company took over the building. They used it to keep their garbage trucks. This continued for almost 40 years!
In the late 1980s, a company called Quadrant Corp. began leasing the building. They were getting it ready for the Redhook Ale Brewery. Redhook had been making beer in a smaller place nearby.
By 1991, Redhook was making much more beer. They even opened a pub inside the building. It was called the Trolleyman, to honor the building's original use.
Chocolate Factory Today
Redhook continued to grow and opened a bigger factory in 1994. In 1998, they stopped making beer at the old trolley barn. The Trolleyman pub closed a few years later.
Since 2006, the building has been home to Theo Chocolate. This company was the first in North America to make organic and fair-trade certified chocolate. About 60,000 people visit the factory each year to learn how chocolate is made!
