Old Wooten, H. O., Grocery

Near the railroad tracks south of Stamford's town square, a large brick warehouse at 128 E. Rotan recalls the city's days as a wholesale grocery center. The H.O. Wooten Grocery Company bought the lots in 1916 to expand its operations and soon built the structure, probably in 1916 or 1917. Solid brick walls are divided into bays by piers, with corbeled cornices, string courses and sill courses. Small arched windows light the high interior, while larger one-over-one wood windows with relieving arches serve three sides. A wooden loading dock with a flat awning, sliding braced doors and an office entrance occupy the remaining side. Although it was essentially a warehouse, the company paid for skilled craftsmen and quality materials. Many comparable Stamford buildings have been lost or stuccoed over, hiding their brickwork. This one survives as the largest remaining example of fine commercial masonry in the city and its best preserved warehouse, which supported its listing for architecture at the local level.