Mill Record Bridgeport

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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)
A.L. Adams Corset Machinery FIRE 2022
Complex Name (Historic)
  • A.L. Adams Corset Machinery
Address or Location
307 Center Street, Bridgeport
County
Fairfield
Historic Designation
Associated Mill Community
n/a
Historic Information

Companies Associated w/Complex

  • A.A. Electric Mfg. Co. ca. 1915-ca. 1950
  • A.L. Adams Corset Machinery c.1910-1921
  • AV-Tek Mfg., Inc. ca. 1970- late-20th c.
  • Cave Welding Co. c.1913-ca. 1945
  • Fabric Machine Co. 1922-ca. 1965

Use (Historic)

Largest Documented Workforce

1-9 (1937).

Historic Narrative

Abraham Lincoln Adams was born in Otsego County New York in 1862 and moved to Bridgeport, Connecticut in 1883. Determined to gain training as a mechanic, shortly after his arrival, Adams enrolled in both business college and a course in machine design; he also found work in the machine shop of the Coulter and McKenzie Company. Much to the surprise of the superintendent at the Coulter and McKenzie Company, Adams was able to operate a lathe on his first day, a sure sign of a degree of inherent mechanical talent. As Adams continued to hone these abilities, he applied them in subsequent positions at the Hill and Jennings Company; Eaton, Cole and Burnham Company; the American Graphophone Company; and the Bridgeport Gun Implement Company. He enjoyed considerable success at all these firms, with achievements including numerous patents and cost and labor-saving devices and processes. In 1893, Adams made the decision to enter the manufacturing world on his own account. His first product of note was his patented Adams Art Auger Bit, which was sold both in the United States and abroad. Around the turn of the century, Adams developed a line of machinery used in the production of corsets. These included bias strip fabric cutting, folding, and winding machines, the design of which he soon became a renowned specialist. Production of these devices initially took place in a shop at 151 Middle Street in Bridgeport, however, Adams moved his shop to Center Street around 1910. He continued to oversee design and production until his death in 1921, after which work was continued under the Fabric Machine Company. The Fabric Machine Company was organized by J.J. Musante, C.J. Lewis, and A.E. Bromley, in 1922. Around the same time, the company’s shop was expanded in order to connect it with a two-story brick building located immediately to the south. The brick block was erected around 1913 to house the Cave Welding Company. Cave Welding was joined by the A.A. Electric Company, a manufacturer of street lighting fixtures and metal shades and reflectors, around 1915, and the two firms shared the plant until the late-1940s, when the Cave Welding Company ceased operations. The A.A. Electric Company continued to operate into the early 1950s, yet by 1955 had likewise closed its doors. The Fabric Machine Company remained in business into the 1960s, yet by the early 1970s had been replaced by AV-Tek Manufacturing, Incorporated, an aircraft parts manufacturer.

Architectural Information

Number of Existing Buildings

Two (2) adjoining primary blocks.

Dates of Construction

ca. 1910, ca. 1913, ca. 1920.

Architect

n/a

Builder

n/a

Building Type

Architectural Description

The former A.L. Adams Corset Machinery plant is comprised of two adjoining primary blocks located on the west side of Center Street, roughly 150’ northwest of Center Street’s intersection with George Street. The older of the two blocks was erected ca. 1910 as a one-story, 46’ x 38’ wood-frame building, yet was expanded roughly 20’ to the south around 1920. It has a concrete foundation, asbestos shingle siding, rectangular window openings with two-over-two double-hung wood sash, and a flat roof. The building adjoins a two-story, 102’ x 30’ red brick manufacturing block that was erected around 1913. This building has a concrete foundation, rectangular window openings with both stone and concrete sills on the first story, segmental-arched window openings with concrete sills on the second floor, and a flat roof. A second-story loading bay with a steel hoist beam is set in a segmental-arched opening on the building’s east elevation, while a ground-level loading bay with a wood roll-up door is located on the west side of the building, which is visible form Oak Street.

Exterior Material(s)

Structural System(s)

Roof Form

Roof Material

Power Source

Condition

Deteriorated

Condition Notes

The complex is in fair condition. The majority of the original windows throughout the two buildings have been replaced or boarded up, however, overall, the plant appears structurally sound. Update: fire summer 2022.

Property Information

Specific Location

One 0.22-acre parcel (307 Center Street) located on the west side of Center Street, roughly 150’ northwest of Center Street’s intersection with George Street.

Adjacent To

n/a

Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Parcel ID / Assessor Record Link

Acreage

0.22

Use (Present)

Sources

Form Completed By

Lucas A. Karmazinas

Date

01/19/2016

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. Atlas of the City of Bridgeport; J.B. Beers & Co., 1876.
  7. Atlas of the City and Town of Bridgeport; G.M. Hopkins & Co., 1888, 1917.
  8. Atlas of Bridgeport; Kershaw, William H., 1910.
  9. Sanborn Map Company, 1884, 1888, 1898, 1904, 1913, 1939, 1950.
  10. Aerial Survey of Connecticut, 1934, 1951, 1965, 1970, 1985.
  11. Bridgeport City Directory, Various editions.
  12. A History of the Old Town of Stratford and the City of Bridgeport; Orcutt, Samuel, 1886.
  13. History of Bridgeport and Vicinity; S.J. Clarke Publishing, 1917.
Representative View(s)Click on image to view full file


Photographer

Lucas A. Karmazinas

Photography Date

01/19/2016