Historic Mills of Connecticut

Companies Associated w/Complex

• Bard-Parker Co. 1955-Unknown
• H. Wibling Tool & Mfg. Co. 1943-1955
• Newland & Wood Co. 1932-1943
• Poly Prim Laundry 1932-1934
• William Birrell Jr. & Co. 1932-1943

Use (Historic)

• Apparel & Accessories
• Clocks, Precision Equipment
• Machine Tools, Machinery
• Transportation

Largest Documented Workforce

Unknown.

Historic Narrative

The earliest portions of the former H. Wibling Tool and Manufacturing Company plant – the two blocks at the core of the southern building – were erected ca. 1922 and initially housed four small businesses, the Poly Prim Laundry; William Birrell Jr. and Company, a hat block shop; the Newland and Wood Company, a manufacturer of hatters’ cones; and a restaurant run by a Louis Bonadi. By 1934 the laundry had vacated the property and by 1936 the restaurant had closed. The northern building was erected ca. 1937 for the George J. Hannon Fur Company, which had formerly operated on Pahquioque Avenue. The newly-organized H. Wibling Tool and Manufacturing Company acquired and occupied both buildings in 1943. The H. Wibling Tool and Manufacturing Company was established by Helge Wibling in New York, New York in 1923. Wibling specialized in the engineering, development and manufacture of precision tools and other metal products and counted several large manufacturers among his clients, namely Pratt and Whitney and the Bendix Corporation. The company relocated to Danbury – where Wibling resided – at the urging of the Chamber of Commerce and thrived in its Taylor Street plant. The business was a family-run affair as Helge’s son Seth E. Wibling joined the firm upon its establishment in Danbury and would take over as president after his father’s death in 1949. Wibling continued to occupy its Taylor Street plant until 1955, whereupon it moved to Chestnut Street. The buildings on Taylor Street were subsequently acquired by the Bard-Parker Company, a surgical instruments manufacturer.

Number of Existing Buildings

Roughly seven (7) primary blocks.

Dates of Construction

ca. 1922, ca. 1937, ca. 1942.

Architect

n/a

Builder

n/a

Building Type

• Mill
• Warehouse / Production Shed

Architectural Description

The former H. Wibling Tool and Manufacturing Company plant is comprised of approximately seven primary adjoining and freestanding blocks located at the southwest corner of the intersection of Taylor and Casper Streets. The oldest portions of the mill were erected ca. 1922 and consist of the two wood-frame blocks comprising the core of the building located along the southern edge of the property. These include a two-story, 26’ x 40’ structure with vinyl siding and a front-facing gable roof, and a one-story block with asbestos siding and a front-facing gable roof. This small facility was expanded ca. 1942 through the addition of a two-and-a-half-story, 26’ x 68’ cast stone and wood-frame block adjoining the east elevation, and a one-story, 36’ x 56’ wood-frame block adjoining the west side of the plant. The former is notable for its three-bay façade, which has centered loading doors on all three floors – these flanked by large multi-pane metal sash with hopper-style openings on the first and second floors – and a cantilevered hoist beam in its gable end. Fenestration similar to that on the front of the building can be found throughout the remainder of the block, however, most of the window openings are smaller than those on the façade. The ca. 1942 addition to the west side of the plant is of wood-frame construction and has asbestos siding and a front-facing gable roof. A large garage door opening is located at the northern end of its east elevation. A one-story, 20’ x 56’ concrete block ell adjoins its north elevation. This has a single pass-through door on its east (front) elevation, and large rectangular window openings with multi-pane metal sash extending along the north and west sides of the block. The final building associated with the former H. Wibling Tool and Manufacturing Company plant is comprised of two adjoining blocks erected ca. 1937. The eastern (front) block is a two-story, 36’ x 60’ concrete block structure with a red brick façade, concrete windowsills, and a low-pitch front-facing gable roof. It retains some of its original metal sash, however, most of the windows have been replaced and a few of the larger openings have been reduced in size. The (western) rear block is a one-story, 60’ x 62’ concrete block structure with a low-pitch front-facing gable roof.

Exterior Material(s)

• Brick
• Concrete
• Other: Asbestos Siding

Structural System(s)

• Load Bearing Masonry
• Wood Frame

Roof Form

• Flat
• Gable
• Shed

Roof Material

• Asphalt
• EPDM
• Tar and Gravel

Power Source

• Electricity

Condition

Fair

Condition Notes

The complex is in fair condition. All portions of the plant appear well maintained, however, the majority of the original windows have been replaced or infilled and vinyl siding has been installed on several blocks.

Specific Location

One legal parcel (20-26 Taylor Street) totaling 1.54 acres located at the southwest corner of the intersection of Taylor and Casper Streets.

Adjacent To

• Main Roads

Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Parcel ID / Assessor Record Link

• J14/270 / Link →

Acreage

1.54

Use (Present)

• Commercial
• Industrial

Form Completed By

Lucas A. Karmazinas

Date

07/27/2015

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. Birdseye Map of Danbury, O.H. Bailey, 1875.
7. Birdseye Map of Danbury, L.R. Burleigh, 1884.
8. Sanborn Map Company, 1884, 1889, 1892, 1897, 1904, 1909, 1919, 1929, 1950.
9. Danbury; Danbury Museum & Historical Society, 2001.
10. Danbury’s Third Century; Devlin, William E. and Herbert F. Janick, Ph.D., 2013.