Monday, April 03, 2006

Bridgeport, Connecticut, Qtrs. #1


Bridgeport was the home of P.T. Barnum and served as his show's winter quarters until his death in 1890 and after. I'm guessing this picture was taken in the 1890's while under the ownership of James A. Bailey and since the gentleman pictured is in shirt sleeves and with the general neat appearance of the quarters, the show was either on the road or in Europe.

The portraits over the doorway bear a remarkable resemblance to Bill Powell and Tim Holst.

Posted by Buckles at 4/03/2006 06:35:00 AM

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

There are a couple of closed factories across town here that look like these Quarters. Would make excelent Winter Quarters for a circus. Brick buildings. Could probable go for a song. I could watch all the works in progress. The place is so hugh the men road bycicles to get from one end to another. My X was a manager so had his own special bike. Place was Dow Chemical

05 April, 2006 09:40
Anonymous said...

Origianlly it was on a 10 acre lot along side the New York,New Haven and Hartford Railway lines.
A building 300 feet in length contained the Barnum Railroad cars.After they closed the Barnum&Bailey winter quarters in 1918,I believe they demolished the buildings and then called it Went Park Field..It later became a site for a engraving company and also a metal extrusion plant which was vacated in 1989.A few years ago,they rennovated it into a recreational park.

06 April, 2006 16:39
Anonymous said...

My X was in the medal extrusion business. Magneium? The medal Samsonite luggage had. Every xmas for five years I got a piece of that luggage. The sixth year I got a one way airline ticket. No wonder that building looked familiar.

06 April, 2006 17:01
Anonymous said...

Im not sure,but I think in 1919
they demolished most of the buldings and renamed it Went Park Field,where it became site of a engraving company and metral extrusion plant,which was abondened in 1989..
The only original building left is Barnum's fire house which now stores recreational equipment.
Any one here ever visted there?
Whats it like?

06 April, 2006 17:18
Anonymous said...

It was called the Exmet metal extrusion facility.
yeah,the posonoius chemicals leached into the groundwater there.
Im not sure how or if they managed to clean that up.
I think Seaside Park is on the good side of town with the historic homes.

06 April, 2006 17:21
Anonymous said...

I read were the stables of the Barnum&Bailey winter quarters in Bridgeport could accomadate up to 700 horses!

06 April, 2006 18:16

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