Description and History of Site:-
The site comprised two warehouses in Blackledge, a house at the corner of Horton Street and Thomas Street, one warehouse in Horton Street and one through warehouse between Horton Street and Blackledge, all with access from a common yard off Thomas Street. Four wool warehouses erected for Frederick Whitaker, woolstapler to the north and east of his existing residence at the junction of Horton Street and Thomas Street. Plans were approved in 1872 to the designs of W.H.D. Horsfall, and F. Whitaker was in occupation by 1874. In 1887 the house at 19 Horton Street was occupied as a temperance hotel run by Ralph Bowers; the warehouses by John Riley & Son, merchants, William Heywood, drysalter, James Pearson, woolstapler and William Wilson, woolstapler. The whole block later became the head office premises for Robinson Brothers Cork Growers Ltd., owners of extensive cork plantations and a processing plant at Portalegre in Portugal. The partly processed cork was imported for conversion into a wide variety of products which included compressed cork pulleys and floor tiles, insulating and soundproofing materials, crown cork stoppers etc. at a number of UK sites including Halifax. The Robinsons' business continued until at least the 1950s, thereafter the building reverted to multiple occupancy, until demolition during the 1980s to make way for a Government Employment Office which is now occupied by the 'Customer First' office of Calderdale MBC.

Further Reading and References:-
Smith's Directory 1874.
White's General and Commercial Directory of Halifax 1887, p. 316.
Halifax County Borough Directory, 1936, p. 87.
Bradford, Leeds, Halifax and Huddersfield Trades' Directory 1951-2.

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Key Words :- textiles woolstapler warehouse temperance hotel cork processing

Viewing the Site :- The site can be viewed from Horton Street, Thomas Street and Blackledge.

Address :- Horton Street, Halifax, West Yorkshire, HX1 1QE
Grid Ref :- SE 09500 24985
Co-ordinates :- Lat 53.721188 , Long -1.857514
Local Authority :- Calderdale Council
Pre 1974 County :- Yorkshire - West Riding
Site Status :- Site demolished or no longer extant
Site Condition :- Site redeveloped to industrial / commercial use
Site Dates :- 1872 - c1980s
Record Date :- 7 April 2017

Copyright :- cc-by-nc-sa 4.0 © Peter Robinson