Skee's Diner, also known for a time as Jude's Place, is a historic
diner
A diner is a type of restaurant found across the United States and Canada, as well as parts of Western Europe and Australia. Diners offer a wide range of cuisine, mostly American cuisine, a casual atmosphere, and, characteristically, a comb ...
in
Torrington, Connecticut
Torrington is the most populated municipality and largest city in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States, and the Northwest Hills Planning Region, Connecticut, Northwest Hills Planning Region. It is also the core city of Greater Torringto ...
. Located for many years at Main and Elm Streets, it was probably built in 1920 by the
Jerry O'Mahony Diner Company
The Jerry O'Mahony Diner Company of Elizabeth, New Jersey, was a manufacturer of roadside diners from 1917 to 1952. The company produced some 2,000 of the long, narrow, primarily metal buildings, perhaps more than any other firm. Prefabricated ...
, and is believed to be the oldest diner of that company in the state. It was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
in 2002.
In 2013, it was removed from its site by the Torrington Historic Preservation Trust for restoration, and eventual relocation to another site.
Description and history
Skee's Diner is a barrel-roofed
diner
A diner is a type of restaurant found across the United States and Canada, as well as parts of Western Europe and Australia. Diners offer a wide range of cuisine, mostly American cuisine, a casual atmosphere, and, characteristically, a comb ...
wide and long, framed out of metal and wood. It has entrances at the ends, and in a projecting barrel-roofed vestibule at the center of the long front. Bands of single-sash windows extend across the rest of the front, topped by decorate segmental arch panels. The roof is formed out of tongue-and-groove boards and covered in rolled asphalt. The interior's original finishes include ceramic tile (black and green), and a long tan marble counter with seventeen stools and builtin display cases.
[ and ]
By its design, it is estimated to have been manufactured around 1920 by the
Jerry O'Mahony Diner Company
The Jerry O'Mahony Diner Company of Elizabeth, New Jersey, was a manufacturer of roadside diners from 1917 to 1952. The company produced some 2,000 of the long, narrow, primarily metal buildings, perhaps more than any other firm. Prefabricated ...
of
Elizabeth, New Jersey
Elizabeth is a City (New Jersey), city in and the county seat of Union County, New Jersey, Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.[Old Saybrook
Old Saybrook is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. The town is part of the Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region. The population was 10,481 at the 2020 census. It contains the incorporated borough of Fenwick, an ...]
, it was purchased by three men and moved to Torrington in 1944, escaping a war-time moratorium on new construction. It is believed to be the oldest O'Mahony diner in the state. It was at first named Rudy's, after one of the three owners, and was placed on land rented from the adjacent Church of St. Maron. It was soon acquired by Tony Cisnowski, whose nickname "Skee" was applied to the establishment, and his brother Edmund. They operated the diner until 1975, when they sold it to Judith Belmonte. She operated it under the Skee's name and as "Jude's Place". The diner was eventually purchased by the church, which rented it out to other operators.
It was permanently closed in 2002.
After standing vacant for some years, it was acquired by the Torrington Historic Preservation Trust. In April 2013, the structure was moved from its Main Street location, with the intention that it will be restored and reopened in a different location.
See also
*
References
External links
Skee's Diner web site on the restoration effort
{{National Register of Historic Places
Commercial buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Connecticut
Diners on the National Register of Historic Places
Diners in Connecticut
Buildings and structures in Litchfield County, Connecticut
Restaurants established in 1944
National Register of Historic Places in Litchfield County, Connecticut
Torrington, Connecticut