Winchester sales depot on 312 Broadway, NYC|General Discussions & Questions|Forum|Winchester Collector

Bill Hockett said
Are there any known photos of Winchester’s sales depot that was located on 312 Broadway, NYC in the 1880’s?  I did the google search thing but came up empty.  

I’ve not had much luck finding any information on the 312 Broadway “Sales Depot”. It was basically their New York Store for a long time. But I believe the original building is long gone. I believe there was also an earlier 245 Broadway address used for New York sales early on.

The only such period photos I’ve found is of Winchester’s “Sportman’s Headquarters”. This was during the Winchester Hardware Store era in the 1920s. It was located across from the New York Public Library on the corner of 5th Avenue and 40th Street on the 3rd Floor of the Winfield Building. On the 1st Floor of the same building was located the “5-10 Cent Store E.W. Woolworth Co.” store. My understanding is that building was demolished with others in 1988 and is now the building at 461 5th Avenue. 

It was laid out with a “club setting” and was sometimes referred to as the Winchester New York Club. They did sell store items and firearms out of it, but it looks more a kin to a modern day cigar lounge than anything else.

Regarding other Winchester Hardware Store Era stores I’ve also found that there was a Winchester Store on Church Street in New Haven, CT and another store in Allegany, New York.

Sincerely,

Maverick

My mistake, NRA reviewed a gun similar to the Hotchkiss. Don

Bill Hockett said
It seems that Winchester calling this office space a sales depot was a bit of imagination.  I thought there might be a large and well stocked showroom, with rows of shiny new Winchester rifles available for purchase.  It seems odd they would list the address of an obscure office space in their catalog. 

Well, I wouldn’t go so far as to say that you’ve disproven anything as of yet. Lack of evidence is not proof to the contrary and don’t lend yourself to confirmation bias either. Just because you can’t find a photograph of something, doesn’t mean it didn’t exist. 

I been digging through my files and found a minor tit bit that may interest you. Its a letter from Winchester to Colt from 1878 about them opening “a Central Depot for our Arms and Ammunition” at the 245 Broadway location. This is the location before they moved to 312 Broadway. They “propose to keep a full line of military goods, including pistols,” Seemingly suggesting or at the least implying the idea that Winchester would have actually bought and sold Colt products from their store!

I’d say by this letter Mr. Oliver was describing more that just an office space. 

Now I wonder if the San Francisco sales office that came later was similar.  Just office space but no guns on display for sale.

Also by what standard would you hold such a “depot” to? By today’s standards the store may have been small. But would also say that Winchester was not beyond doing things extravagant or to be very showy. Take for example the 1876 Centennial Exhibition. Winchester’s display was more extensive than that of Colt and its competitors. Also don’t forget there were several highly finished and engraved “Exhibition Grade” guns that were shipped to the New York & San Francisco Store location to be displayed.

I at present haven’t located it but have seen where the New York Store even had its own separate Letterhead for correspondence.

Sincerely,

Maverick

Those types of letters – that is just crazy to me. If it isn’t Top Secret, Classified information, where in the world do you guys come up with that stuff? Presuming they are originals…. 

Maverick said

Bill Hockett said

It seems that Winchester calling this office space a sales depot was a bit of imagination.  I thought there might be a large and well stocked showroom, with rows of shiny new Winchester rifles available for purchase.  It seems odd they would list the address of an obscure office space in their catalog. 

Well, I wouldn’t go so far as to say that you’ve disproven anything as of yet. Lack of evidence is not proof to the contrary and don’t lend yourself to confirmation bias either. Just because you can’t find a photograph of something, doesn’t mean it didn’t exist. 

I been digging through my files and found a minor tit bit that may interest you. Its a letter from Winchester to Colt from 1878 about them opening “a Central Depot for our Arms and Ammunition” at the 245 Broadway location. This is the location before they moved to 312 Broadway. They “propose to keep a full line of military goods, including pistols,” Seemingly suggesting or at the least implying the idea that Winchester would have actually bought and sold Colt products from their store!

I’d say by this letter Mr. Oliver was describing more that just an office space. 

Now I wonder if the San Francisco sales office that came later was similar.  Just office space but no guns on display for sale.

Also by what standard would you hold such a “depot” to? By today’s standards the store may have been small. But would also say that Winchester was not beyond doing things extravagant or to be very showy. Take for example the 1876 Centennial Exhibition. Winchester’s display was more extensive than that of Colt and its competitors. Also don’t forget there were several highly finished and engraved “Exhibition Grade” guns that were shipped to the New York & San Francisco Store location to be displayed.

I at present haven’t located it but have seen where the New York Store even had its own separate Letterhead for correspondence. 

The factory letter for the Colt 1877 revolver pictured below states it shipped to Winchester Repeating Arms Company, New Haven, Connecticut, 05 March 1880.

I am guessing this was purchased by Winchester for retail sales out of stores like the one located at 312 Broadway in New York City.

Brain fog 312 Broadway. Don

This is interesting.  Just came across this catalog on eBay.  Was Hartley and Graham neighbors?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/135144189957?_skw=original+vintage+winchester+catalog&itmmeta=01JH9S8HE3G969H23KEBPHBKP8&hash=item1f7738b005:g:OkQAAOSwUxNmkJnz&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAAA4HoV3kP08IDx%2BKZ9MfhVJKlNi9p%2BZ3UeSrnv92LgH2g7rICQiBT7D%2Br1iZpU8uIw3isAbmND40BNu5v%2BnvQPrFGSHDR5vF3iKYW0A6daD2tlyrjgVkGPE5p0Us%2F6mnKYQvKgyMrAuWaCRvm8qMm5DYw1B64XU8T%2FwmOhk%2FoMIBeYfVhp8H%2FAlEmG5CdAwkuSQQUkYpwt9CYvU9ZTCQRpOQAUwc796rvDryHLHLWCXkkSN0Xa1x%2FOQ7EKU1ZNUxvEbnihXQqEoy%2BPqfHIXsP5ocKuTsFLNwJoWzjhN%2BxJDPPT%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR5KXormKZQ

Don

mrcvs said

The factory letter for the Colt 1877 revolver pictured below states it shipped to Winchester Repeating Arms Company, New Haven, Connecticut, 05 March 1880.

I am guessing this was purchased by Winchester for retail sales out of stores like the one located at 312 Broadway in New York City.

  

Cute gun.  Really short barrel and etched panel to boot.  I have a couple but none that short.  I have one that has a 4 1/2″ barrel that went to Schuyler Hartley and Graham in 1879.