Historic Mills of Connecticut

Companies Associated w/Complex

• Borough Electric Co. 1856-ca. 1880
• Wallingford Electric Co., Division of Public Works ca. 1880-ca. 1895

Use (Historic)

• Other: Power generation

Largest Documented Workforce

Unknown.

Historic Narrative

The Borough Electric Company was established in 1899, three years after the residents of Wallingford first voted to approve the organization of a municipal electric plant. Construction of the first generation station and office building began in February 1899, and was completed on December 23rd of that year. The total cost of the work was $45,000, borrowed at a 3.5% interest rate. The initial output of the plant was enough to power 85 street lamps. The service was conducted on a moonlight schedule, which essentially meant that on nights that the moon was bright the electric lights would not be turned on. In 1900, the company’s revenue totaled $6,524, and this rose to $45,327 in 1913. The supplier soon powered 3,000 lamps and boasted 155 commercial accounts. This is not to say that electrical lighting was immediately embraced. An account of the Borough Electric Company’s early years in the Hartford Courant cites an advertising campaign put forth by the firm that argued the advantages of electricity over oil or gas lighting. It stated, ‘electric light does not cause deposits on ceilings, ruin lace curtains, cannot be blown out, requires no matches, fewer fires result from it, and its color is soft and cheerful.’ These benefits eventually won customers over, but it was a slow transition. The utility continued to operate as the Borough Electric Company until 1964, when it was absorbed into the town’s department of public utilities. The electric division of the public utilities department remained in the Washington Street facility until it was decommissioned in 1967. The town is one of only a handful of municipalities in Connecticut that continues to maintain its own electrical utility, and power is generated at several locations throughout the town.

Number of Existing Buildings

Roughly seven (7) primary blocks.

Dates of Construction

ca. 1899, ca. 1915, ca. 1920, ca. 1925, ca. 1930.

Architect

n/a

Builder

n/a

Building Type

• Administration
• Powerhouse

Architectural Description

The former Borough Electric Company plant is comprised of approximately seven primary adjoining and freestanding blocks located on the west side of Washington Street, halfway between Silk and Parker Streets, and on the east side of Community Lake. The earliest section of the complex is the core of a two-story, 44’ x 130’ red brick building located on the north side of the plant. The southern two-thirds of the building was erected in 1899 and it has round-arched window openings with concrete sills (the openings have been partially infilled), a corbelled and denticulated brick cornice, stepped parapet, and two rectangular monitors interrupting its flat roof. The building was expanded ca. 1915 by the addition of a two-story, 44’ x 20’ red brick addition adjoining its north elevation; ca. 1920 after the construction of a two-story, 18’ x 50’ red brick addition adjoining the south side of its west elevation; and ca. 1925 with a two-story, 45’ x 42’ red brick addition on the south side of its east elevation. The additions all have rectangular window openings set in recessed bays, concrete window sills, corbelled brick cornices, and flat roofs. The second primary portion of the plant is a two-block building with an L-shaped footprint located to the southwest of the aforementioned building. This was erected in two phases, ca. 1925 and ca. 1930. The two blocks are of similar detailing, which consists of concrete foundations, segmental-arched window openings with concrete sills, corbelled cornices, and flat roofs. The final notable building associated with the plant is a one-story, 54’ x 20’ red brick garage. This has four garage bays and a shed roof.

Exterior Material(s)

• Brick

Structural System(s)

• Load Bearing Masonry

Roof Form

• Flat

Roof Material

• Asphalt
• Tar and Gravel

Power Source

• Steam

Condition

Fair

Condition Notes

The factory is in overall fair condition. Although most of the original windows have been replaced or infilled, the majority of the plant appears structurally sound and reasonably well maintained.

Specific Location

One 4.94-acre parcel (304 Washington Street) on the west side of Washington Street, halfway between Silk and Parker Streets.

Adjacent To

• Water (for Power)

Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Parcel ID / Assessor Record Link

Acreage

4.94

Use (Present)

• Commercial
• Vacant

Form Completed By

Lucas A. Karmazinas

Date

06/16/2015

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 New Haven County, H & C.T. Smith, 1856.
6. Atlas of New Haven County, Beers, Ellis & Soule, 1868.
7. Birdseye View of Wallingford, Connecticut, O.H. Bailey & Co., 1881.
8. Birdseye View of Meriden, Connecticut, Hughes and Bailey, 1905.
9. Sanborn Map Company, 1885, 1892, 1897, 1904, 1911, 1919, 1925, 1948.
10. Hartford Courant, 1899, 1900, 1995.
11. History of Wallingford, Connecticut; Davis, Charles H.S., 1870.
12. History of New Haven County, Connecticut; Rockey, John L., 1892.
13. A Modern History of New Haven and Eastern New Haven County; Hill, Everett G., 1918.