Category Archives: Buildings (Commercial) Galleries

Hughsonville Commercial Buildings, Wappinger, NY

These buildings are located in the hamlet of Hughsonville in Wappiner on Route 9D a little south of the intersection with Old Hopewell Road.  I had been meaning to photograph these two buildings for years whenever I passed by, but I finally stopped and pulled out my camera when I saw that the tan building had already been demolished.  Soon after taking these photos, the brown building was also demolished.

According to the demo permit, the tan building was the “old Abbott Hardware Store”.  I inquired in a local Facebook group what people remember about the two buildings, and it was confirmed that the tan building was a hardware store owned by the Abbott sisters.  Someone said “If I recall what Kathryn Abbott told me once, the hardware store was previously (many, many years ago) a post office, complete with drive up window for carriages.”

People remember the brown building to have been owned by a Dickie Leahy around the 1960s/70s/80s and in it he stored a collection of antique carriages, buggies, and/or horse-drawn sleighs.  Mr. Leahy may have even shoed horses.  The same person quoted above said that Kathryn Abbott told her the brown building “was at one time (late 1800s) a YMCA, but later used by the Abbotts for storage.”

I have not obtained any history on the gray building with blue trim.

Locations:

Off Track Betting, Poughkeepsie, NY

This building is located at 611 Dutchess Turnpike (Route 44), Poughkeepsie, NY.  This Off Track Betting site was vacant for quite some time.  In 2015 the building was being renovated to become the home of Darkside Records; those photos are from June and October.  The murals that decorated the outside of the building were covered up during the renovation.

Location:  Google Maps (41.696520, -73.892017)

Williams Lumber, Salt Point, NY

These are photos of the Williams Lumber properties at 58 and 47 Cottage Street, Hamlet of Salt Point, Town of Pleasant Valley, NY.

Based on review of several sources, including documents obtained and summarized by Dieter Friedrichsen, a former Pleasant Valley Town employee, the 58 Cottage Street property has been an integral part of the history of the Salt Point area.  In the 1700s and 1800s, the area contained a mill due to the location of a waterfall on the Wappingers Creek.  The mill was located in the current basement of Building 1.  Grains were brought to the mill to be ground.  A wagon shop at one point also existed on the property.  At this time the property was an island surrounded by a split in the Wappingers Creek.

In 1871, a railroad was created along the eastern side of the property at 58 Cottage Street and was used for transportation of materials.  Also photographed are abutments from the railroad bridge that used to cross the Wappingers Creek north of 58 Cottage Street.  Around 1910, the property was a coal yard and may have also sold lumber and feed.  Several sheds were located on the property at various times.  The use of this property as a coal and lumber yard and a feed store continued.  In at least the 1960s, the property sold fuel oil.  The site became Williams Lumber during the mid 1970s.  As of 2010, the site was Williams Lumber & Home Centers.

The history of the property at 47 Cottage Street is unknown.  According to topographic maps, the property seems undeveloped until the 1960s.  Two barns (buildings #7 & #8) in poor condition occupied the property.

Locations:  58 Cottage Street (41.806323, -73.793879), 47 Cottage Street (41.805580, -73.794085)

Sunnyridge, Route 55, Poughkeepsie, NY

There are several storefronts constructed to the front of this older residential structure on Route 55 in Poughkeepsie.  Based on a Facebook post in a Pougkeepsie-related group, this strip included Becks Farm Market, Karl Ehmer’s Meats, and Harold’s Drive-In in the late 1960s/1970s.  The historic photos are courtesy of Tom Beck (digitized from 8mm home movies) who posted these to Facebook and dated them from about 1965.

Location: Google Maps (41.688145, -73.881044)

Former Trolley Building, Poughkeepsie, NY

The building at 489 Main Street, Poughkeepsie, NY was the home of the City Horse Railway from 1874 to 1894, when it was rebuilt for the electric trolley system. The trolley system closed in 1935, and was replaced by buses. Diesling’s occupied the building from 1956 to 1994. Plans are underway to create an art center in the building.

Location: Google Maps (41.701565, -73.919235)

Abandoned Commercial Building, Daytona, FL

I found this abandoned building along Route 4009 (4015 South Williamson Blvd) in Daytona, FL.  The building appears to have been a commercial building.  I was attracted by the scaffolding-like entry.  The only piece of information I could find for the history of the building was an old real estate listing indicating the building was built in 2006 and is a “partially completed church building”.

Location: Google Maps (29.137250, -81.051817)

Port Orange Train Depot, Port Orange, FL

According to Wikipedia, this site is the Port Orange Florida East Coast Railway Freight Depot (also known as the Central Pump & Supply Company) in Port Orange, FL. The station was originally built in 1894, and was used as a flag stop as late as 1955. In 1966, it was relocated 500 feet north of its original location. On February 5, 1998, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.

More information: Website

Location:  Google Maps (29.143917, -80.993050)