Farmington Winery

Farmington Winery was a historic winery operation in Farmington, Michigan, housed in a converted Detroit United Railway powerhouse. The business was formerly known as LaSalle Winery, making the site part of the region's industrial and commercial history as well as its winemaking history. Wine production ended in the late 1960s. After production ceased, the building continued to serve primarily as a distribution center rather than as an active winery. The LaSalle brand was later acquired by St. Julian Winery, separating the continuing brand identity from the original Farmington production site. The available reference material does not establish the precise founding date, founder, full product range, production volumes, or the detailed corporate history of the winery. Accordingly, Farmington Winery is best understood as a defunct local winery and historic site rather than as a currently operating independent wine producer. The former winery building has remained in private ownership. The J.S. White family purchased the shuttered property in the mid-1970s and has since restored and maintained it. Parts of the structure have been adapted for office and retail use. The building also has a prominent seasonal role: each Halloween, the Whites operate it as a popular haunted-house attraction under the name “The Haunted Winery.” This later use has helped preserve the site's public visibility after winemaking ended. The property is also associated with an important ecological feature. Its chimney has been cited as a significant migration stop for chimney swifts, with the Detroit Free Press describing it as potentially the largest such stop in North America. Thus, the Farmington Winery legacy combines a former wine business, an adapted industrial building, a locally recognized Halloween attraction, and a notable urban wildlife habitat.

Farmington Winery operated from a former Detroit United Railway powerhouse in Farmington, Michigan. The winery was previously known as LaSalle Winery, linking the operation to an earlier brand identity. The available historical account does not provide a confirmed founding year or identify the original founder, but it establishes that the building was converted for winery use and that wine production continued until the late 1960s. When production ended, the facility was not immediately abandoned. It was used mainly as a distribution center, reflecting a transition from manufacturing to logistics and storage. The later history of the brand and the property diverged. St. Julian Winery eventually purchased the LaSalle brand, while the original Farmington building passed into private ownership. The J.S. White family purchased the shuttered winery building in the mid-1970s. The family has owned, restored, and maintained the property, adapting portions of it for office and retail purposes. This preservation work kept the structure in use even though it no longer functioned as a winery. The building's seasonal identity also evolved: on Halloween, it is operated as a haunted-house attraction known as “The Haunted Winery.” The site has an additional environmental distinction. Its chimney is used by chimney swifts during migration and has been described by the Detroit Free Press as a major migration stop, potentially the largest in North America. This feature gives the former winery significance beyond its commercial history. Farmington Winery therefore represents a closed local production business whose surviving brand, building, and cultural associations continued in different forms: the LaSalle name moved to another winery owner, the property became an adaptive-reuse landmark, and the structure acquired roles in seasonal entertainment and wildlife conservation.

1. 1970The building is acquired by the J.S. White family

   The J.S. White family purchased the shuttered winery building in the mid-1970s and began its continuing restoration and maintenance.

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2. 1960Wine production ends

   Production at the Farmington winery ceased in the late 1960s. The exact year is not specified in the reference material.

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3. LaSalle Winery operates from the Farmington powerhouse

   The winery formerly known as LaSalle Winery operated in a converted Detroit United Railway powerhouse in Farmington, Michigan.

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4. The LaSalle brand is acquired by St. Julian Winery

   St. Julian Winery later purchased the LaSalle brand, while the original Farmington property remained under separate private ownership.

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5. The site becomes known as The Haunted Winery

   The building began serving as a popular Halloween haunted-house attraction operated by the White family.

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Historic local winery and adaptive-reuse landmark rather than an active contemporary wine brand.

• The Haunted Winery

  Farmington, Michigan

  The former winery building is used by the J.S. White family as a Halloween haunted-house attraction. The seasonal presentation preserves the site's winery identity while giving the historic structure a continuing public entertainment role.

  Outcome. The attraction became a popular local Halloween use of the former winery property.

  Source

• 1960End of wine production and conversion to distribution useStrategy

  Wine production ceased in the late 1960s at the Farmington site.

  What changed. The building was used primarily as a distribution center after production ended.

  Aftermath. The site moved away from manufacturing before later becoming privately owned and adaptively reused.

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• St. Julian Winery acquires the LaSalle brandM&A

  The LaSalle identity continued after operations at the original Farmington site ended.

  What changed. St. Julian Winery purchased the LaSalle brand.

  Aftermath. Brand ownership became distinct from ownership and use of the original Farmington winery building.

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1. Farmington Winery (Michigan)
2. City of Farmington 2023 plans