H.C. Cook Co. | Making Places

Mill Record Ansonia

Disclaimer: Content for these properties was compiled in 2014-2017 from a variety of sources and is subject to change. Updates are occasionally made under Property Information, however the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation (dba Preservation Connecticut) makes no representation or warranty that the information is complete or up-to-date.

Complex Name (Common)

H.C. Cook Co.

Complex Name (Historic)

H.C. Cook Co.
W. E. Basset Co.

Address or Location

26 Beaver Street, Ansonia

County

New Haven

Historic Designation

Candidate for State Register Listing

Associated Mill Community

n/a

Bird’s-eye aerial image of H.C. Cook Co., camera facing east; accessed from Bing.com 2015.

Historic Information

Companies Associated w/Complex

H.C. Cook Company 1901-1984
Sperry Manufacturing Company 1882-1901
W.E. Bassett Company 1984-c.2000

Use (Historic)

Largest Documented Workforce

100 (1922)

Historic Narrative

In 1865, Ansonia resident Wales Terrell acquired the water rights to Beaver Brook, a small tributary of the Naugatuck River. By 1868, he had successfully dammed the stream to create a mill pond just north of the modern day intersection of Jewett and Beaver Streets. The dam allowed for the development of several industrial sites in Ansonia; in 2001, it was filled in by the City of Ansonia. The first manufacturing operation on the site was a blacksmith and file making mill run by Terrell until 1882 when Sperry Manufacturing Company occupied the site. Sperry was a major producer of carriage hardware, such as clips, platforms, springs, and steps, and the largest manufacturer of 'fifth wheels' (horizontal stabilizing wheels on the axle) in the United States, with 25 employees. In 1901, the company was purchased by the newly formed H. C. Cook Company. Henry C. Cook had worked for the Ansonia Clock Company as one if its chief toolmakers, but when the company moved to New York in the 1880s, he decided to open a local job shop on Main Street in Ansonia. The small shop produced specialty machinery, tools and dies for a variety of regional industries. In 1892, Cook met Chapel S. Carter, and the two men formed the H. C. Cook Co. to develop home care products. In 1896, the company began producing “Gem Nail Clippers” a product that was an instant success, and which was made until at least the 1960s. By 1900, it was incorporated, and in 1901 H. C. Cook Co. purchased the Sperry Manufacturing Company. Cook immediately suspended carriage hardware manufacturing to focus solely on consumer products. By 1909, the company had diversified its product line to include patented paper clips, index tabs, and other organizational items. In 1984, the Company was sold to W. E. Bassett Company of Shelton, Connecticut, which continued to produce the clippers until 2000, when they started importing them from Korea. Today the Beaver Street Plant houses several small manufacturing firms.

Architectural Information

Number of Existing Buildings

Roughly seven (7) blocks.

Dates of Construction

c.1919

Architect

n/a

Builder

n/a

Building Type

Architectural Description

There is no indication that any of Wales Terrell’s industrial buildings survive on the site, although his 1875 home still stands at 62 Beaver Street (it is now a funeral home). In 1919, the H. C. Cook Company built the brick buildings along Beaver Street. The original factory was both steam and water powered.

Exterior Material(s)

Structural System(s)

Roof Form

Roof Material

Asphalt

Power Source

Condition

Good, Fair, Deteriorated

Condition Notes

There is no indication that any of Wales Terrell's industrial buildings survive on the site, although his 1875 home still stands and is occupied by a funeral home. The Sperry Manufacturing Co. erected wood frame residential buildings along Jewett Street between 1882 and 1900, however, these appear to have been demolished. In 1919, H.C. Cook built the series of brick factory buildings along Beaver Street.

Property Information