Our Story
The Troy Sunshade Building, located at 619 Lincoln Avenue in Troy, Ohio, is a century-old industrial site transformed into a modern creative hub for artists, makers, and entrepreneurs. Once home to a thriving manufacturing facility, the building has been reimagined as a space for innovation, community, and small business growth—while preserving its deep historical roots.
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Carriage Sunshades and Humble Beginnings (1887)
The story of the Sunshade Building begins in 1887. That year, two young Troy entrepreneurs, Augustus “Gus” Stouder and Frank Douglass, launched an innovative venture making sunshades for horse-drawn carriages. They had discovered a novel carriage sunshade designed by a local preacher-inventor, and they purchased the rights to manufacture it for a royalty of just six cents per shade. Appropriately, their new enterprise was named the Troy Carriage Sunshade Company, which was later shortened around the turn of the century to The Troy Sunshade Company.
In those early years, Troy Sunshade Company’s product was simple yet indispensable: canopy-like shades that protected buggy riders from sun and weather. Demand grew quickly. By the 1890s, the company had outgrown its initial quarters and expanded into larger buildings along Lincoln Avenue. The railroad tracks behind the factory proved essential to this growth – raw materials like wood, fabric, and metal arrived by rail, and finished sunshades could be shipped out efficiently to customers beyond Troy. It was common in that era for factories to sprout up next to rail lines, and the Sunshade Building’s proximity to the Piqua-Troy railroad spur (now a CSX line) gave it a logistical edge.
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Expansion, Innovation, and the Railroad Age
As the 20th century began, the Troy Sunshade Company expanded rapidly. Originally focused on carriage sunshades, the company broadened its offerings to include auto visors, umbrellas, awnings, and metal furniture for hotels, dormitories, and homes. It also manufactured automotive accessories, metal awnings, and advertising umbrellas.
The rise of the automobile brought new opportunities, and Troy Sunshade adapted quickly, earning recognition for its high-quality windshield frames and accessories. As product lines grew, the factory thrived, its floors alive with skilled labor and inventive energy.
The adjacent railroad spur connected Troy’s growing industries to national markets. It allowed for efficient nationwide shipping of everything from delicate parasols to steel fixtures. In an era before highways, that rail line was Troy’s connection to the world. For example, the famed Hayner Whiskey distillery shipped its bottles by train across the United States. Locals recall the daily rumble of boxcars and train whistles—a rhythmic reminder of the city’s industrious heart.
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The Legacy Continues: A New Home for Creativity Across the Tracks
Though the original red-brick Troy Sunshade factory no longer exists as it once did, the Sunshade legacy continues just across the railroad tracks in a distinct cream-brick building at 619 Lincoln Avenue. Once part of the broader industrial complex, this structure has found new purpose as a home for creativity and connection.
In the late 2010s, local visionaries began transforming the quiet space into affordable creative studios and small business offices. Retaining its industrial charm, exposed brick, factory windows, and hardwood floors, the building now thrives as a modern-day hub for makers and entrepreneurs. Under the ownership of Greg Taylor, who also revived Hayner Whiskey, the space hosted Hayner’s first bottling event in over a century in 2021, a poetic nod to Troy’s enduring legacy.
Among its tenants is The Warehouse, an event venue that regularly hosts pop-up markets and private celebrations. While The Warehouse adds vibrancy to the space, building-wide events like Open Studio Nights invite the public to explore the entire Sunshade Building, meet resident artists, and celebrate a shared spirit of creativity rooted in Troy’s industrial past.
The tools may have changed, but the spirit remains.
Honoring the Legacy and Embracing the Future
Walking into the Sunshade Building today, you can still feel the echoes of its past—the creak of old floors, the weight of history in its beams. What was once a factory for sunshades and steel has become a place for community, creativity, and connection.
This building’s revival is more than preservation, it’s a reimagining of purpose. Its transformation into affordable studios and gathering spaces keeps Troy’s industrial spirit alive, contributing to the local economy while inspiring a new generation of makers. The tracks that once carried goods across the country now run beside a space carrying ideas into the future.
The Sunshade Building is a success story of adaptive reuse. A rare example of how honoring our past can light the way forward. The tools may have changed, but the spirit remains a reminder that Troy’s story is still being written. For a deeper look into downtown and industrial growth, You can explore a detailed timeline in the Downtown Troy Overview PDF.