Historic Mills of Connecticut

Companies Associated w/Complex

• Ansonia Foundry Co. 1915-1925
• Ansonia Plumbing Manufacturing Co. 1925-1949
• Kisluk Manufacturing Co. 1949-ca. 1965

Use (Historic)

• Fabricated Metal Products

Largest Documented Workforce

Roughly twelve (12) primary bl

Historic Narrative

The Ansonia Foundry Company was established by two Russian immigrants, William Olderman and Michael Michaelson, in 1915. Incorporated with $5,000 in capital, the foundry specialized in the production of brass and aluminum castings. The company’s foundry was erected directly north of the former location of another brass foundry, the F.L. Gaylord Company, which is visible on a 1911 Sanborn map yet disappears by 1924 when the Ansonia Foundry Company’s plant was first recorded. City directories from the early 1910s indicate that Olderman served as treasurer and manager of the F.L. Gaylord Company, however, the 1914 directory lists him as unemployed and the company is no longer registered, suggesting that it had closed its doors. Directory listings in the years before and after 1915 indicate that Michaelson was a carpenter and builder and his involvement in the Ansonia Foundry Company was likely limited to a financial interest. Olderman, however, managed the company and its dozen or so employees until 1925, despite having relocated to Bridgeport and founding the Bridgeport Iron and Metal Company in 1923. The Ansonia Foundry Company folded after Olderman’s departure and its Pleasant Street plant was then occupied by the Ansonia Plumbing Manufacturing Company, producers of brass ferrules, soldered nipples, and other brass fittings. This operated until 1949, when Henry S. and Charles A. Kisluk, employees at the Ansonia Plumbing Manufacturing Company, acquired the business and changed its name to the Kisluk Manufacturing Company. Local directories indicate that Kisluk Manufacturing occupied the building through the mid-1960s, and its use as a foundry continues today as the Advanced Precision Casting Corporation.

Number of Existing Buildings

Two (2) adjoining primary blocks.

Dates of Construction

1915, 1915-1924.

Architect

n/a

Builder

n/a

Building Type

• Mill

Architectural Description

The former Ansonia Foundry Company building is a one-story, three-bay industrial structure with a red brick foundation and walls, front-facing low-pitch gable roof with cornice returns and a partial-length monitor, and a frame one-story cross-gable addition. The foundry’s main block was erected in 1915 and has a roughly rectangular plan measuring 42 feet by 92-feet. The façade west (front) elevation has a central bay with both a roll-up garage style door and a pass-through entry, while the flanking bays each have a single window opening. There is a painted sign that reads ‘BRASS FOUNDRY’ above the entries, and an arched window opening in the elevation’s gable end. The door and windows are set in segmental-arched openings and the windows have stone sills. All of the windows consist of two-over-two double-hung sash. Nine equally-spaced window bays can be seen on the south (side) elevation, these likewise set in segmental-arched openings with stone sills. The north (side) elevation possesses similar details, however several windows towards the rear of the building are obscured by the storage ell. The east (rear) elevation is unbroken brick. The addition was constructed by 1924 and extends to the north. It has a concrete foundation, frame walls with vertical board sheathing, and a hip roof. There are three evenly-space door openings on the west (front) elevation, these consisting of two roll-up garage style doors and one pass-through door.

Exterior Material(s)

• Brick
• Wood

Structural System(s)

• Load Bearing Masonry
• Wood Frame

Roof Form

• Gable
• Monitor

Roof Material

• Asphalt

Power Source

• Electricity

Condition

Good

Condition Notes

All portions of the building are in generally good condition.

Specific Location

One legal parcel (36 Pleasant Street) totaling 0.48 acres on the east side of Pleasant Street.

Adjacent To

n/a

Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Parcel ID / Assessor Record Link

• 04300610000 (for record, use link and type in address or parcel number) / Link →

Acreage

0.48

Use (Present)

• Industrial
• Other: For sale 1/2023, 11/2023. 4890 sq ft

Form Completed By

Lucas A. Karmazinas

Date

10/27/2014

Bibliography

1. Ansonia City Directories, 1885-1970.
2. Federal Census Records, 1910, 1920, 1940.
3. List of Connecticut Manufacturers, 1922.
4. Sanborn Map Company, 1884-1950.