J. S. Halpine Tobacco Warehouse facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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J. S. Halpine Tobacco Warehouse
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 Location in Connecticut
Location in the United States
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| Location | West and Mill Sts., New Milford, Connecticut |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1896 |
| NRHP reference No. | 82001002 |
| Added to NRHP | December 16, 1982 |
The J. S. Halpine Tobacco Warehouse is a historic building in New Milford, Connecticut. It stands at the corner of West and Mill Streets. This large building was constructed around 1900 to 1902.
It was built for J. S. Halpine, a major tobacco processor in the area. The warehouse shows how important tobacco farming was to the economy of northwestern Connecticut long ago. In 1982, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Today, the building has been changed into homes.
A Historic Building: The J. S. Halpine Tobacco Warehouse
The J.S. Halpine Tobacco Warehouse is located south of downtown New Milford. It is near the Housatonic Railroad tracks. The building is made of brick and stands about five and a half stories tall.
What Does the Warehouse Look Like?
The roof of the warehouse has a special shape. It is mostly gabled, meaning it slopes down on two sides. It also has a slight gambrel shape, which looks like a barn roof. The windows have rounded tops, like an arch cut into segments.
The main door for people is on the north side. It has a gabled frame around it. There are also large openings on the east and west sides. These were once used for loading and unloading tobacco. Most of these openings are now covered up. Inside, the building has strong wooden beams and floors.
Why Was This Warehouse Important?
The warehouse was built when the Housatonic River valley was a big tobacco-growing area. J.S. Halpine worked for Rossin & Sons. This company was one of the largest employers in the region at that time. The warehouse was used to sort and cure tobacco leaves. Curing is a process that prepares the leaves for use.
This business was very active until the late 1930s. During that time, the Housatonic valley grew special tobacco leaves. These leaves were used to wrap cigars for major companies. The J.S. Halpine Tobacco Warehouse is one of the few buildings left in New Milford from that period. It is also the largest tobacco warehouse still standing in the region.
