Albert Yuravich 2016-09-15 03:45:05
Back From the Dead
A newspaper warehouse in Bridgeport. A Stratford factory that produced metal-forming machines for 150 years. A manufacturer of doorbells, brakes and ball bearings in Bristol. A velvet mill in Stonington. A stately U.S. Post Office building in Willimantic.
All of these businesses bustled with activity in the not-too-distant past. But one by one, that activity grinded to a halt, as these things tend to do over time. As enterprises failed amid mounting competition or moved operations out of state (or country), the buildings they once occupied were suddenly without tenants. Hundreds were out of jobs. And through the years, many once-proud buildings became overgrown and underused eyesores.
Now for the good news — each of the locations mentioned above, and many like them around the state, are once again humming. But rather than machinery and textiles, many of these spaces are now producing IPAs and sours. Call it the Brewery Reclamation Project.
Quite a few breweries have breathed new life into run-down and, in some cases, contaminated industrial spaces. More than 40 breweries are now open in Connecticut with dozens more planned in the next year or so.
Sample this flight of five:
Brewport, Bridgeport: Located next to I-95, this new restaurant and brewery sits in a former distribution center for the Fairfield County News newspaper. (Check out Erik Ofgang’s story on page 79.)
Two Roads Brewing Co., Stratford: Operates in the massive former home of U.S. Baird, a manufacturer of machinery for clients across the globe.
Firefly Hollow Brewing, Bristol: Housed in the old home of the New Departure Bell Co., which was founded in 1888 as a maker of doorbells before branching out into other products.
The Beer’d Brewing Co., Stonington: Another property that was in use in the late 19th century, when the American Velvet Co. set up its mill here. Today, the “Velvet Mill” not only boasts this acclaimed brewery, but is also a haven for the arts.
Willimantic Brewing Co.: A U.S. Post Office occupied this space until the late ’60s, and it sat unused until 1997, when the brewery opened in the renovated space that retained designs and aesthetics of the 1909 building.
As more breweries pop up across the state, getting creative with historic spaces, the quality and experimentation is also reaching new heights (page 56).
If you’re in a nostalgic mood, turn to page 27, where new staff writer Michael Lee-Murphy tours some of the state’s best and most enduring independent cinemas, which show there’s something to be said for character.
peaking of character, a wood-fire potter with a hulking kiln in Woodbridge is living proof that perfection is overrated (Connecticut Home & Garden, page 49).
Keeping with the history theme, we pay a visit to the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History, which is celebrating its 150th anniversary, opening a new gem and mineral hall, and is home to seven pieces that changed how we look at the world (page 67).
And now that we’re entering prime dessert season, we thought it would be a good time to find the best pies in the state (page 81). There’s always room for pie!
Albert Yuravich
ayuravich@connecticutmag.com
Twitter.com/AlbertYuravich
Published by New Haven Register formerly 21st Century Media Newspapers . View All Articles.
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