Historic Mills of Connecticut

Companies Associated w/Complex

• American Brass Co. - Torrington Branch 1899-1922
• Anaconda Copper Mining Company 1922-1961
• Coe Brass Co. 1863-1899

Use (Historic)

• Fabricated Metal Products
• Firearms, Weapons, Explosives
• Mining, Primary Metals

Largest Documented Workforce

700 (1960)

Historic Narrative

Immensely popular for its versatile uses in cookware, clothing accessories and weapons, brass and brass products were imported from England in the 18th and early 19th centuries, and therefore expensive. In the first two decades of the 1800s, several Connecticut entrepreneurs began to produce brass in the Naugatuck Valley, including Abel and Levi Porter, Aaron Benedict, Israel Holmes and Israel Coe. As these men experimented with and honed their brass production skills, they alternately worked with one another, forming and reorganizing new ventures over time. By 1829, Benedict had joined with Coe to roll brass for buttons and in 1834, they split off, each forming their own company. Israel Coe partnered with Israel Holmes and established Wolcottville Brass in Torrington to produce brass kettles, developing a fast and efficient way to roll the kettles into shape. The brass industry expanded rapidly in the 1860s, and Wolcottville Brass added a variety of products such as German silver, seamless copper tubing, copper sheets, rods, and wire, and shell casings for ammunition. In 1863, the company was purchased by one of Israel Coe’s relatives, Lyman Coe, who changed its name to Coe Brass Co. In 1899, the Coe Brass Company formally became a part of the holding company American Brass, together with the other leading brass firms in the Naugatuck Valley (Plume and Atwood Mfg. Co., Benedict and Burnham Mfg. Co., Waterbury Brass Co., Scoville Mfg. Co. and Holmes Booth and Hayden). In 1922, the Anaconda Copper Mining Company of Montana acquired the firms held by American Brass, thus creating a conglomerate with both supply and production capabilities. During World War II, the Torrington factory of American Brass produced artillery shell rotating bands (these insured firing accuracy). Anaconda’s profits began to decline in the 1950s, and in 1961 Anaconda closed the Torrington Branch, laying off nearly 700 employees. Shortly after, the majority of the plant was demolished for new development.

Number of Existing Buildings

Three (3) primary blocks.

Dates of Construction

c.1880, c.1910

Architect

n/a

Builder

n/a

Building Type

• Administration
• Loft

Architectural Description

The three buildings that remain are located on each side of the Water Street Bridge. To the west is the granite company office building with mansard roof constructed by Coe Brass c.1880-1890. To the east are two concrete loft buildings with steel structural systems, built c.1910. The larger building was used as the company machine shop and is particularly interesting because it is built on an iron truss that spans the river. The western building is almost identical, only smaller in scale, and served as the company's pipe and forge shop.

Exterior Material(s)

• Concrete
• Wood

Structural System(s)

• Post and Beam
• Structural Steel or Iron
• Wood Frame

Roof Form

• Flat
• Mansard

Roof Material

• Asphalt
• Slate

Power Source

• Electricity

Condition

Good, Fair, Deteriorated

Condition Notes

n/a

Specific Location

Two contiguous parcels totaling 1.48 acres on the south side of Water Street between Church and Prospect Streets.

Located in the Water Street National Register Historic District (2002).
http://npgallery.nps.gov/nrhp/GetAsset?assetID=06473da5-9f77-452e-a0b5-1ed357cdd9c8

Adjacent To

• Water (for Power)
• Business District
• Main Roads
• Railroad

Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Parcel ID / Assessor Record Link

• 117/002/001 factory / Link →
• 117/003/001 office / Link →

Acreage

0.48; 1.0

Use (Present)

• Commercial
• Industrial
• Vacant

Form Completed By

Michael Forino

Date

n/a

Bibliography

1. Sanborn Insurance Atlases.
2. Water Street National Register Historic District Nomination (2002).