Historic Mills of Connecticut

Companies Associated w/Complex

• U.S. Rubber Co. Inc. 1894-1966
• UniRoyal 1966-1979

Use (Historic)

• Rubber & Chemicals

Largest Documented Workforce

n/a

Historic Narrative

The UniRoyal Warehouse is the only remaining building from the expansive rubber making industry that developed in Naugatuck following Charles Goodyear's invention of the vulcanization process c.1844. The three dominant companies operating in Naugatuck in the mid-nineteenth century were the Goodyear Metallic Rubber Shoe Company, the Goodyear India Rubber Glove Company, and the Union Rubber Company. These companies consolidated, together with others across the country, into the United States Rubber Company by 1894. With the advent of the automobile, US Rubber shifted to tire production at many facilities by 1905, although the Naugatuck sites continued to make footwear, including Keds. US Rubber prospered through World War II, and changed its name to UniRoyal in 1966. By 1979, with the shoe business no longer profitable, UniRoyal shut down the Naugatuck operations. Note: National Register nomination submitted in 2016 was deemed inadequate.

Number of Existing Buildings

One (1) block.

Dates of Construction

1954

Architect

n/a

Builder

n/a

Building Type

• Warehouse / Production Shed

Architectural Description

The four story concrete building with flat roof approx. 202 ft. by 430 ft. was built as a storage warehouse for UniRoyal in 1954 using Turner column construction. The northern section of the building was partitioned into offices and the exterior walls had aluminum frame windows separated by brick spandrels. The bays of the southern section of the building, with brick curtain walls, were punctuated by high narrow windows. Some original fenestration remains beneath the applied EIFS; other windows date to 1985. The warehouse was added to the southern end of the US Rubber complex which occupied the blocks west of Water Street, south of Cedar Street and east of what is now Old Firehouse Road, and is the only remaining building from the massive complex.

Exterior Material(s)

• Brick
• Concrete

Structural System(s)

• Concrete Slab
• Structural Concrete
• Turner Mushroom Column

Roof Form

• Flat

Roof Material

• Asphalt

Power Source

• Electricity

Condition

n/a

Condition Notes

The four story concrete building with flat roof was covered in EIFIS (Dryvit) in the 1980s; this is a removable surface. Much original fenestration remains in place.

Specific Location

One 3.9 acre parcel on the SEC of Rubber Avenue and Elm Street on west bank of the Naugatuck River

Adjacent To

• Railroad

Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Parcel ID / Assessor Record Link

• 3/2-23W2 / Link →

Acreage

3.9

Use (Present)

• Mixed-Use
• Other: 2019 Used as Naugatuck Event Center while city looks for developer interest.
• Vacant

Form Completed By

n/a

Date

n/a

Bibliography

1. Heritage Resources, Draft Connecticut State Register of Historic Places Registration Form, Uniroyal Warehouse (2015).