Historic Mills of Connecticut

Companies Associated w/Complex

• General Sheet Metal Works 1919-Present (2016)

Use (Historic)

• Fabricated Metal Products

Largest Documented Workforce

1-9 (1939)

Historic Narrative

The General Sheet Metal Works was organized in Bridgeport, Connecticut in 1917. The firm was founded by Bernard Anderson and Steven E. Cibulas, the latter a former superintendant at the D. Grouve Company sheet metal works. The company manufactured steel, stainless steel, and aluminum products, with the majority of its early business consisting of cornices and ‘puttyless’ skylights. Cibulas bought out his partner’s share of the business late in 1917, and the company moved from its original plant at 109 Holland Avenue to a new factory at 120 Silliman Avenue in 1919. The General Sheet Metal Works benefitted greatly from the industrial and residential building booms that swept across the United States during and after the First World War. A metalworking journal from 1917 lists a sample of the company’s contracts at the time. These included skylights, sash openers, and sheet metal work for a new factory for Bridgeport’s Lake Torpedo Boat Company, sheet metal work on 86 houses to be erected for the Bridgeport Housing Company, and sheet metal work for an array of manufacturers including the Sperry and Barnes Company of New Haven (meat packers), Connecticut; Passaic Cotton Mills of New Bedford, Massachusetts; and the Detroit United Railway Company of Detroit, Michigan. The General Sheet Metal Works secured numerous government contracts during both the First and Second World Wars and was awarded an Army-Navy ‘E’ Award for its contributions to the American war effort in the latter conflict. The General Sheet Metal Works remains in operation on Silliman Avenue where the firm continues to specialize in metal fabrication.

Number of Existing Buildings

Roughly four (4) primary blocks.

Dates of Construction

1919, 1921, ca. 1940.

Architect

n/a

Builder

n/a

Building Type

• Mill
• Warehouse / Production Shed

Architectural Description

The former General Sheet Metal Works plant consists of roughly four adjoining and freestanding primary blocks located on the north side of Silliman Avenue, at the northeast corner of Silliman Avenue’s intersection with Ash Street. The original factory consists of a one-story, 42’ x 142’ red brick block erected along Silliman Avenue in 1919. The building is of brick pier construction and has large rectangular window openings with concrete sills, paired fenestration with shared concrete lintels and wide brick mullions, corbelled brick headers above the window bays, a brick parapet with a stepped profile along the east and west (side elevations), tile coping, and a flat roof. The primary entrance to the shop is located at the eastern end of its south (façade) elevation. This consists of a metal pass-through door with a large wire-glass light in its upper half and a flat metal portico supported by chains anchored in the brick wall above. A one-story, 28’ x 20’, wood-frame boiler plant adjoins the western end of the main block’s north (rear) elevation. This was built concurrent to the main block and has vertical board siding and a shed roof. Another one-story, 62’ x 12’ wood-frame block was erected 35’ east of the boiler house and adjoining the main block’s north elevation ca. 1940. This also has vertical board siding and a shed roof. The final building associated with the plant was erected 50’ north of the original factory in 1921. This was used as a blacksmith shop and general storage building and has a metal frame, corrugated metal sheathing, and a shed roof. The block measures roughly 22’ x 174’. It adjoins an identical building on the neighboring parcel to the east.

Exterior Material(s)

• Brick
• Steel
• Wood

Structural System(s)

• Load Bearing Masonry
• Wood Frame

Roof Form

• Flat
• Shed

Roof Material

• Asphalt
• Metal

Power Source

• Electricity

Condition

Fair

Condition Notes

The plant is in fair condition. A majority of the original windows have been replaced or the openings infilled or reduced in size, however, overall, the factory appears structurally sound and well maintained.

Specific Location

One 0.59-acre parcel (120 Silliman Avenue) located on the north side of Silliman Avenue, at the northeast corner of Silliman Avenue’s intersection with Ash Street.

Adjacent To

n/a

Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Parcel ID / Assessor Record Link

• 19/ 1219/ 1 / Link →

Acreage

0.59

Use (Present)

• Industrial

Form Completed By

Lucas A. Karmazinas

Date

01/22/2016

Bibliography

1. List of Connecticut Manufacturers, 1922, 1924, 1930, 1932.
2. Directory of Connecticut State Manufacturers, 1936, 1939.
3. Industrial Directory of Connecticut, 1947.
4. Register of War Production Facilities in Connecticut, 1951.
5. Map of Fairfield County; Baker, William A., 1854.
6. Atlas of the City of Bridgeport; J.B. Beers & Co., 1876.
7. Atlas of the City and Town of Bridgeport; G.M. Hopkins & Co., 1888, 1917.
8. Atlas of Bridgeport; Kershaw, William H., 1910.
9. Sanborn Map Company, 1884, 1888, 1898, 1904, 1913, 1939, 1950.
10. Aerial Survey of Connecticut, 1934, 1951, 1965, 1970, 1985.
11. Bridgeport City Directory, Various editions.
12. Metal Worker, Plumber and Steam Fitter, No. 2245; 1917.
13. A History of the Old Town of Stratford and the City of Bridgeport; Orcutt, Samuel, 1886.
14. History of Bridgeport and Vicinity; S.J. Clarke Publishing, 1917.