Hartford & New Haven Railroad-Freight Depot facts for kids

Hartford & New Haven Railroad Freight Depot
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district Contributing property
The Hartford and New Haven Railroad Freight Depot
Location in Connecticut
Location	40 Mechanic St., Windsor, Connecticut
Area	less than one acre
Built	c. 1870
Architectural style	Gothic Revival
Part of	Broad Street Green Historic District (ID99001613)
MPS	18th and 19th Century Brick Architecture of Windsor TR
NRHP reference No.	88001505
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	September 15, 1988
Designated CP	December 30, 1999

The Hartford & New Haven Railroad Freight Depot is a historic building in downtown Windsor, Connecticut. It stands at 40 Mechanic Street. This old building was built around 1870. It is a great example of a Gothic Revival style freight depot. A freight depot is a place where goods were loaded and unloaded from trains.

This building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. This means it is an important historical site. Today, it is home to the Windsor Arts Center. This center is a non-profit place that shows art from different artists.

A Look at the Old Freight Depot

The former Hartford & New Haven Railroad Freight Depot is on the east side of downtown Windsor. It is a long, rectangular building made of brick. It has two stories. The building sits between Mechanic Street and the train tracks. These tracks are part of the main line between Hartford, Connecticut and Springfield, Massachusetts.

What Does It Look Like?

The building has a useful design. But it also has some fancy Gothic Revival details. The roof has square vents on top. These vents are covered with pyramid-shaped roofs. The main entrance faces Center Street. It has a sloped, wooden cover supported by brackets.

The long sides of the building have eleven sections. These sections are marked by brick columns. Some sections have arched openings. The roof hangs out far over the walls. You can see the ends of the wooden beams and supports under the roof.

A Peek into Its Past

We are not exactly sure when this building was built. Records show a small freight depot was here in 1869. It is possible that the current building replaced that one. This might have happened around the same time the nearby passenger train station was built. That station was also built by the Hartford and New Haven Railroad.

Since 2007, the building has been used by the Windsor Arts Center. It is now a place where people can enjoy art.