Shay's Warehouse and Stable facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Shay's Warehouse and Stable
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Warehouse and Stable in 2008
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| Location | New Hamburg, NY |
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| Nearest city | Poughkeepsie, NY |
| Built | ca. 1870 |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| MPS | New Hamburg MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 87000123 |
| Added to NRHP | February 27, 1987 |
The Shay's Warehouse and Stable is an old building located in New Hamburg, a small place in New York State. It was built around 1870 and is important because it's one of the last remaining buildings from when New Hamburg was a busy river port. This historic building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.
Contents
What the Building Looks Like
The building is actually two parts connected together: a square warehouse and a rectangular stable. Both parts are two stories tall. It's built on a gentle hill, so only the front (west side) is fully visible.
Building Materials and Roof
The bottom part of the building is made of stone. Above the stone, it changes to brick laid in a common pattern. The roof is made of tin and has a low slope. It's a "hipped roof," which means all sides slope downwards to the walls. The roof also has special brick decorations called "corbels" and a few arched windows that stick out of the roof, known as "dormer windows."
Inside the Warehouse and Stable
Inside, both parts of the building are mostly still in their original condition. The warehouse has open spaces on both floors. The upper floor is held up by strong beams and wooden supports called "joists."
The stable part used to have areas for horses and a room for their gear. These have been removed to make space for cars today. Other than that, the inside of the stable hasn't changed much. There are no other small buildings from its original use left on the property.
History of Shay's Warehouse
A man named Shay bought the land where the warehouse stands around 1863. His house was built there, but the warehouse wasn't shown on maps until later. It was probably already there, as old mapmakers often didn't draw smaller buildings like warehouses.
Early Uses of the Building
Shay used the building to store and move things like rags and cotton waste. These materials came from mills in a nearby town called Wappingers Falls. This shows how important the building was for trade and shipping back then.
Changes Over Time
As time passed, New Hamburg changed. There was less boat traffic on the Hudson River, and then trains became popular before their use also declined. Because of these changes, Shay's Warehouse was used for many different things.
It was once a place where people made wooden barrels for apples. It was also a "foundry," which is a factory where metal is melted and shaped, in this case, brass. When cars became common, the stable part was changed to fit them instead of horses.
Recent History and Current Use
When the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places, it was being used as a boat-repair shop. This made sense because there are many boat marinas nearby now, which are a big part of the local economy.
More recently, the building has simply been used for storage. Today, it is the only old commercial or industrial building left in New Hamburg that still looks much like it did when it was a busy river port.
Architectural Style
Shay's Warehouse and Stable has a unique look for an old industrial building. It's quite decorated, especially compared to other similar buildings from that time in the Poughkeepsie area.
Italianate Features
The building's main style is called "Italianate." You can see this in its blocky shape and the arched windows. The Italianate style was popular for its grand and decorative look.
Picturesque Details
However, some of the decorations, like the special brickwork (corbels), also show ideas from the "Picturesque" style. This style became popular in the mid-1800s and focused on creating beautiful, scenic views. So, the warehouse combines elements from both styles, making it quite interesting to look at.
