Innis Dye Works
Encyclopedia
The former Innis Dye
Works factory is located along North Water Street in Poughkeepsie
, New York
, United States
, on a triangular lot between the street, Fallkill Creek and the railroad tracks of the Metro-North
Hudson Line
, just across from the Mid-Hudson Children's Museum
. It has served a variety of industrial functions, and remains in good condition today.
It is a three-story, twelve-bay
structure with a raised basement
. At the roofline is a projecting cornice
and frieze
with large carved brackets
. A triangular pediment
in the center gives the year of its construction, 1880. There is a wooden hoist
at the center of the second story and the main entrance is a double door with vertical planking.
The Innis Dye Works company dates to at least the 1830s. The first record of its existence, in 1838, is founder Aaron Innis's transfer of the company to his son George, later a three-time mayor of the city. The building itself was used for pulverizing and storage of materials to be made into dyes. It is shown on an 1887 map of the city.
At the end of the century the building outlived its original purpose when the traditional dye industry gave way to aniline
-based mixtures. By 1913 it would be reused
as the Davis piano
hammer factory, whose name is still visible on the facade between the second and third stories. It was converted back to dyemaking again by 1934; since then it has been used as a warehouse
. In 1982 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places
.
Dye
A dye is a colored substance that has an affinity to the substrate to which it is being applied. The dye is generally applied in an aqueous solution, and requires a mordant to improve the fastness of the dye on the fiber....
Works factory is located along North Water Street in Poughkeepsie
Poughkeepsie (city), New York
Poughkeepsie is a city in the state of New York, United States, which serves as the county seat of Dutchess County. Poughkeepsie is located in the Hudson River Valley midway between New York City and Albany...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, on a triangular lot between the street, Fallkill Creek and the railroad tracks of the Metro-North
Metro-North Railroad
The Metro-North Commuter Railroad , trading as MTA Metro-North Railroad, or, more commonly, Metro-North, is a suburban commuter rail service that is run and managed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority , an authority of New York State. It is the busiest commuter railroad in the United...
Hudson Line
Hudson Line (Metro-North)
Metro-North Railroad's Hudson Line is a commuter rail line running north from New York City along the east shore of the Hudson River. Metro-North service ends at Poughkeepsie, with Amtrak's Empire Corridor trains continuing north to and beyond Albany...
, just across from the Mid-Hudson Children's Museum
Mid-Hudson Children's Museum
The Mid-Hudson Children's Museum is located on North Water Street in Poughkeepsie, New York, United States. It has been located in a brick building across from the former Innis Dye Works building, a short walk from the Poughkeepsie station on Metro-North's Hudson Line and right on the Hudson River....
. It has served a variety of industrial functions, and remains in good condition today.
It is a three-story, twelve-bay
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
structure with a raised basement
Basement
__FORCETOC__A basement is one or more floors of a building that are either completely or partially below the ground floor. Basements are typically used as a utility space for a building where such items as the furnace, water heater, breaker panel or fuse box, car park, and air-conditioning system...
. At the roofline is a projecting cornice
Cornice
Cornice molding is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns any building or furniture element: the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the edge of a pedestal. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown molding.The function of the projecting...
and frieze
Frieze
thumb|267px|Frieze of the [[Tower of the Winds]], AthensIn architecture the frieze is the wide central section part of an entablature and may be plain in the Ionic or Doric order, or decorated with bas-reliefs. Even when neither columns nor pilasters are expressed, on an astylar wall it lies upon...
with large carved brackets
Bracket (architecture)
A bracket is an architectural member made of wood, stone, or metal that overhangs a wall to support or carry weight. It may also support a statue, the spring of an arch, a beam, or a shelf. Brackets are often in the form of scrolls, and can be carved, cast, or molded. They can be entirely...
. A triangular pediment
Pediment
A pediment is a classical architectural element consisting of the triangular section found above the horizontal structure , typically supported by columns. The gable end of the pediment is surrounded by the cornice moulding...
in the center gives the year of its construction, 1880. There is a wooden hoist
Hoist (device)
A hoist is a device used for lifting or lowering a load by means of a drum or lift-wheel around which rope or chain wraps. It may be manually operated, electrically or pneumatically driven and may use chain, fiber or wire rope as its lifting medium. The load is attached to the hoist by means of a...
at the center of the second story and the main entrance is a double door with vertical planking.
The Innis Dye Works company dates to at least the 1830s. The first record of its existence, in 1838, is founder Aaron Innis's transfer of the company to his son George, later a three-time mayor of the city. The building itself was used for pulverizing and storage of materials to be made into dyes. It is shown on an 1887 map of the city.
At the end of the century the building outlived its original purpose when the traditional dye industry gave way to aniline
Aniline
Aniline, phenylamine or aminobenzene is an organic compound with the formula C6H5NH2. Consisting of a phenyl group attached to an amino group, aniline is the prototypical aromatic amine. Being a precursor to many industrial chemicals, its main use is in the manufacture of precursors to polyurethane...
-based mixtures. By 1913 it would be reused
Adaptive reuse
Adaptive reuse refers to the process of reusing an old site or building for a purpose other than which it was built or designed for. Along with brownfield reclamation, adaptive reuse is seen by many as a key factor in land conservation and the reduction of urban sprawl...
as the Davis piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
hammer factory, whose name is still visible on the facade between the second and third stories. It was converted back to dyemaking again by 1934; since then it has been used as a warehouse
Warehouse
A warehouse is a commercial building for storage of goods. Warehouses are used by manufacturers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, transport businesses, customs, etc. They are usually large plain buildings in industrial areas of cities and towns. They usually have loading docks to load and unload...
. In 1982 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.