Historic Mills of Connecticut

Companies Associated w/Complex

• Apex Tool and Cutter Co. Inc. 1933-2013
• Shelton Cutlery Company 1922-ca. 1929
• Shelton Tool & Machine Company 1918-1922
• Silver Plate Cutlery Company ca. 1900-1918
• Wilcox & Howe Company ca. 1875-ca. 1900

Use (Historic)

• Clocks, Precision Equipment
• Consumer Products, Small Appliances
• Fabricated Metal Products
• Transportation

Largest Documented Workforce

51-100 (1928)

Historic Narrative

The first manufactory on this site was operated by the Wilcox and Howe Company, which was established by Darius Wilcox in 1869 and reorganized as a partnership with Isaac P. Howe in 1885. The firm produced carriage hardware and bicycle forgings and held the Canal Street plant until ca. 1900. The factory was next occupied by the Silver Plate Cutlery Company, which produced plain and silver plated forged table cutlery. Originally incorporated in 1883, by 1901 the company was led by president and treasurer J.R. Brinsmade, and secretary D.S. Brinsmade, and boasted $60,000 in capital. The Silver Plate Cutlery Company was replaced by the Shelton Tool and Machine Company in 1918. The latter was organized that year by Frank E. Burchfield, Frederick G. Bouteiller, and Harold E. Drew, with $63,650 in capital. Directory listings from the period indicate that the company specialized in the manufacture of punch dies, jigs, gauges, and other tools, however, in 1922 the firm’s name was changed to the Shelton Cutlery Company, indicating a general shift in output. This employed between 50 and 100 workers during the late 1920s, yet disappears from industrial directories between 1928 and 1930. The last manufacturer to occupy the plant at 235 Canal Street was the Apex Tool and Cutter Company, which was organized in Bridgeport, Connecticut on June 14, 1933 and moved to Shelton that same year. Apex Tool and Cutter specialized in single and multiple style inserted tools, the like used on lathes, planers, shapers, boring mills, and milling machines. The company employed between 10 and 24 workers through the late 1930s, at which time it was led by Frederick J. Wilson, president; Patrick B. O’Sullivan, vice-president; and Ole Severson, secretary and treasurer. The company maintained its headquarters and factory in Shelton until 2013.

Number of Existing Buildings

Roughly seven (7) blocks.

Dates of Construction

ca. 1875-1924, 1934-1948

Architect

n/a

Builder

n/a

Building Type

• Mill
• Warehouse / Production Shed

Architectural Description

The former Apex Tool and Cutter Company plant is comprised of an adjoining complex of approximately seven identifiable blocks with a total frontage of roughly 200 feet on the east side of Canal Street. The factory’s primary building, that fronting Canal Street, is of red brick construction, while the remaining secondary structures are built of red brick, wood frame, or concrete block. The main building was erected ca. 1875, with the majority of the remainder of the plant constructed in phases by 1924. The buildings range between one and two stories in height and have a mix of pitched and shed roofs. The main building is typical of industrial structures erected during the late 19th century and is characterized by its narrow width, comparatively high overall length, and thick masonry walls pierced by repeating bays of large window openings. The building measures 170’ x 36’, however, historic images depict the differential roof pitches visible between the northern and southern portions of the structure today suggesting that the structure may have been erected in two phases. The exterior walls are interrupted by star-shaped masonry anchors and rise to denticulated brick cornices with cornice returns. The door and window openings throughout the building have segmental-arched openings and brownstone sills. The window openings have recently been reduced with frame infill, vinyl siding, and double-hung vinyl windows. Another notable section of the Apex Tool and Cutter Company plant is located north of the main building. Identified as a forge room on historic Sanborn maps, it is a one-and-a-half-story frame and concrete block structure with a front-facing gable roof and metal ridgeline ventilators. The building measures 98’ x 44’ and its exterior walls are interrupted by roll-up garage style doors on the lower level of its north and east elevations, and 12-light fixed windows above.

Exterior Material(s)

• Brick
• Concrete Block
• Wood

Structural System(s)

• Load Bearing Masonry
• Wood Frame

Roof Form

• Gable
• Shed

Roof Material

• Asphalt
• EPDM

Power Source

• Electricity
• Water (Turbine)

Condition

Fair, Deteriorated

Condition Notes

All portions of the building are in generally fair to deteriorated condition and a number of the original window openings have been partially infilled and the historic sash replaced. A fire in 2013 left portions of the main block and forge room heavily damaged, however, repairs are underway as of October 2014.

Specific Location

One legal parcel (235 Canal Street) totaling 1.3 acres on the east side of Canal Street.

Adjacent To

• Water (for Power)
• Business District
• Railroad

Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Parcel ID / Assessor Record Link

• 129.-17 (for record, use link and type in address or parcel number) / Link →

Acreage

1.3

Use (Present)

• Vacant

Form Completed By

Lucas A. Karmazinas

Date

10/27/2014

Bibliography

1. List of Connecticut Manufacturers, 1922, 1924, 1930, 1932.
2. Directory of Connecticut State Manufacturers, 1936, 1939.
3. Atlas of New Haven County, Beers, Ellis & Soule Co., 1868.
4. Derby and Shelton Bird’s Eye View, 1898.
5. Shelton Bird’s Eye View, 1919.
6. Industrial Directory of Connecticut, 1947.
7. Register of War Production Facilities in Connecticut, 1951.
8. Sanborn Map Company, 1924, 1949.
9. Aerial Survey of Connecticut, 1934, 1965.
10. Tercentenary Pictorial and History of the Lower Naugatuck Valley, Malloy, Leo T., 1935.
11. Roth, Matthew, et al, Connecticut: An Inventory of Historic Engineering and Industrial Sites (Washington DC: SIA, 1981).