Historic Mills of Connecticut

Companies Associated w/Complex

• C. Cowles and Co 1890-2016

Use (Historic)

• Fabricated Metal Products
• Transportation

Largest Documented Workforce

Unknown

Historic Narrative

C. Cowles and Co. began in 1838 as a supplier to the New Haven carriage makers. Throughout the 19th century the firm served that extensive trade, expanding its line of goods and even importing European carriage hardware for sale to New Haven producers. Using primarily metal-forming processes, Cowles manufactured carriage bolts, lamps, decorative stampings, axle clips, knobs, curtain fasteners and virtually any other metal carriage part except tires. Employment averaged between 125 and 175 workers in the 1890s, the decade before increasing use of automobiles caused the carriage industry's sudden decline. Unlike the carriage producers themselves, who were in direct competition with the automobile, Cowles was able to survive by selling parts to car makers. Lamps were one of the first Cowles products transferred to the new market, and the firm gradually retooled to make door locks, ashtrays and decorative moldings for automobiles. (Roth) C. Cowles and Co. produced formed-metal automobile parts at this location until 2016.

Number of Existing Buildings

Six (6) primary blocks.

Dates of Construction

1890, 1914, 1917, ca. 1965.

Architect

n/a

Builder

n/a

Building Type

• Loft
• Mill
• Powerhouse
• Warehouse / Production Shed

Architectural Description

The former C. Cowles and Co. plant consists of roughly six adjoining primary blocks located on the north side of Water Street, at the northwest corner of the intersection of Water and Chestnut Streets. Only one section of the mill survive from the facility's original construction in 1890, these being the four-story, 155' x 45' red brick main manufacturing block with near-flat roof at the corner of Water and Chestnut Streets. A four-story, 80’ x 42’ reinforced concrete addition adjoining the west elevation of the original main mill was built in 1914. This is notable for its large rectangular window openings with pivot-style sash and a prominent concrete cornice with large modillions. Another large reinforced concrete addition was erected at the northern end of the original manufacturing block in 1917. This has large rectangular window openings with red brick apron walls, concrete sills, and multi-pane metal sash with pivot-style openings. The 1917 block has a plain cornice and flat roof. The final addition to the plant was erected at the southwest corner of the facility ca. 1965. The building is a three-story, 100’ x 250’ steel-frame block with red brick apron walls and a flat roof. A row of small ribbon windows extends along the roofline of the addition’s south (façade) elevation.

Exterior Material(s)

• Brick
• Concrete

Structural System(s)

• Load Bearing Masonry
• Structural Concrete
• Structural Steel or Iron

Roof Form

• Flat

Roof Material

• Asphalt
• EPDM
• Tar and Gravel

Power Source

• Electricity
• Steam

Condition

Fair

Condition Notes

The factory complex is in fair condition and most of the blocks retain their original or early fenestration.

Specific Location

One 2.48 acre parcel on the north side of Water Street, at the northwest corner of the intersection of Water and Chestnut Streets.

Adjacent To

• Main Roads

Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Parcel ID / Assessor Record Link

• 207/535/700 / Link →

Acreage

2.48

Use (Present)

• Commercial
• Other: U-Haul storage as of August 2018
• Vacant

Form Completed By

Lucas Karmazinas

Date

n/a

Bibliography

1. Roth, Matthew, et al, Connecticut: An Inventory of Historic Engineering and Industrial Sites (Washington DC: SIA, 1981).