Historic Mills of Connecticut

Companies Associated w/Complex

• Hartford Empire Co. 1949-ca. 1972
• Henry & Wright Mfg. Co. 1911-ca. 1952
• New England Foam Products Co. ca. 1990-Present (2015)
• Parker Motor Co. 1910-1911
• Springfield Elevator & Pump Co. 1908-ca. 1911

Use (Historic)

• Electrical Equipment
• Machine Tools, Machinery
• Rubber & Chemicals
• Transportation

Largest Documented Workforce

200 (1921).

Historic Narrative

The former Henry and Wright Manufacturing Company factory was originally built for the Springfield Elevator and Pump Company in 1907. The Springfield Elevator and Pump Company was organized in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1896, and moved to Hartford, Connecticut, due to a need for larger quarters. The firm erected a new brick factory on Windsor Street, which at the time was noted for its modern features, specifically its well-lit interior. The company’s financial stability appears to have been fragile upon its arrival, though, as by 1909 a portion of the plant was being leased to the Parker Motor Company, a manufacturer and dealer of automobiles. The Parker Motor Company owned the factory in 1911; it in turn folded and was forced to sell the plant that same year. The Windsor Street plant was subsequently acquired by the Henry and Wright Manufacturing Company, a Hartford-based firm organized by Robert G. Henry and Daniel M. Wright in 1903. Henry had extensive experience in the field of machine tool design and manufacturing and after successful careers at a long list of notable companies established his own business based upon the success of his ‘Rice’ patent ball bearing machine, a specialized drilling device. The Henry and Wright Manufacturing Company initially occupied a shop on Sheldon Street in Hartford, and relocated to Windsor Street after debating a move to Detroit, Michigan early in 1911. The firm’s decision to remain in Hartford was lauded by the local press and the company enjoyed considerable success in the following decades, including ranking as the world’s foremost producer of drilling machines in 1917. The majority of the Henry and Wright Manufacturing Company’s business was grounded in the design and production of drilling machines, however, the firm took an interesting shift towards diversification by acquiring the Hartford-based Dilworth Arm Company, a manufacturer of prosthetic limbs, in 1920. The Henry and Wright Manufacturing Company employed upwards of 200 hands throughout the 1920s, yet contracted somewhat following the onset of the Great Depression. The company was acquired by the Hartford Empire Company, a Hartford-based glass-making machinery firm in 1949, however, the Windsor Street plant remained in operation until ca. 1972. Various tenants occupied the complex during the second half of the 20th century before it was acquired by its current occupant, the New England Foam Products Company, shortly after it was organized in 1987.

Number of Existing Buildings

Roughly eleven (11) adjoining primary blocks.

Dates of Construction

1907, 1912, 1917, ca. 1940, 1951-1965.

Architect

n/a

Builder

n/a

Building Type

• Administration
• Mill
• Warehouse / Production Shed

Architectural Description

The former Henry and Wright Manufacturing Company plant is comprised of roughly eleven adjoining blocks located on the west side of Windsor Street, roughly 450’ north of Windsor Street’s intersection with Sanford Street. The original section of the plant was built in 1907 and consists of a one-and-a-half-story, 80’ x 232’ red brick block with a trapezoidal footprint and a clerestory monitor roof. This was expanded in 1912 through the construction of a one-story, 30’ x 108’ red brick block adjoining the eastern end of its north elevation; and again in 1917 when a one-story, 82’ x 133’ red brick block was built adjoining the north elevation of the original block and west elevation of the 1912 building. Both blocks are similar in detail to the original factory yet have flat roofs with sawtooth monitors. New office and stock room buildings were added to the plant ca. 1940. The two-story, 36’ x 32’ red brick office block adjoins the west elevation of the factory near the junction of the 1907 and 1917 buildings. This is of brick pier construction and has large window openings with concrete sills, corbelled brick lintels, and multi-pane metal sash with hopper-style openings. The storage block is a one-story, 30’ x 73’ red brick block adjoining the east elevation of the 1917 building. It has a flat roof, however, as it has been surrounded by later construction, the character of its exterior walls has been obscured. Further additions to the Windsor Street plant were completed in stages between 1951 and 1965. A two-story, 72’ x 33’ red brick office addition was built adjoining the north elevation of the ca. 1940 office; and a five one- and two-story manufacturing blocks were built on the north side of the plant. The office expansion mimics the detail of the ca. 1940 building, while the new manufacturing blocks are of steel-frame and concrete block construction. The latter are of utilitarian design, yet are notable for the large expanses of multi-pane steel sash that run along their rooflines.

Exterior Material(s)

• Brick

Structural System(s)

• Load Bearing Masonry
• Structural Steel or Iron

Roof Form

• Clerestory Monitor
• Flat
• Monitor
• Sawtooth

Roof Material

• Asphalt
• Tar and Gravel

Power Source

• Electricity
• Steam

Condition

Fair

Condition Notes

The complex is in fair condition. Most of the exterior walls are in need of cleaning and repairs and a number of the original windows have been replaced, however, overall, the plant appears well maintained and structurally sound.

Specific Location

One legal parcel (760 Windsor Street) totaling 2.38 acres located on the east side of Windsor Street, roughly 450’ north of Windsor Street’s intersection with Sanford Street.

Adjacent To

• Main Roads
• Railroad

Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Parcel ID / Assessor Record Link

• 263/74/97 (for record, use link and type in address or parcel number) / Link →

Acreage

2.38

Use (Present)

• Industrial
• Vacant

Form Completed By

Lucas A. Karmazinas

Date

08/31/2015

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 Hartford County, H & C.T. Smith, 1855.
6. Atlas of Hartford County, Beers, Baker & Tilden, 1869.
7. Sanborn Map Company, 1885, 1900, 1917, 1920, 1923, 1950.
8. Aerial Survey of Connecticut, 1934, 1965.
9. Hartford City Directories, Various editions.
10. The Hartford Courant, 1908, 1911, 1914, 1916, 1917, 1920, 1921.