Historic Mills of Connecticut

Companies Associated w/Complex

• Chromium Process Co. 1929-2009
• Premier & Potter Printing Press Company, Inc. 1919-1929
• Whitlock Printing Press Manufacturing Co. ca. 1898-1919

Use (Historic)

• Fabricated Metal Products
• Machine Tools, Machinery

Largest Documented Workforce

50-99 (1939)

Historic Narrative

The earliest portion of the former Chromium Process Company factory on Canal Street was erected by the Whitlock Printing Press Manufacturing Company (reorganized as the Premier and Potter Printing Press Company in 1919) at some point between 1898 and 1919. The company, which manufactured presses and other equipment used by printing and bookbinding firms, occupied the factory complex on the west side of Canal Street West and constructed the red brick block straddling the canal for use as a carpentry shop and office. The Chromium Process Company, producers of high-grade chromium plating, purchased the building in 1929. The Chromium Process Company was established and incorporated in Derby, Connecticut in October 1927. Ralph Wheeler was one of three original owners and president from 1929 through 1972. The company was managed by the husband and wife team of Norman and Marguerite Tice, who served as president-treasurer and secretary, respectively. The firm was noted for its development of economical processes for the chrome plating of small items, including automobile parts, plumbing and builders’ hardware, electrical parts, and novelty items. Driven by this success, the company quickly outgrew its original quarters, which necessitated its move to Shelton, as well as subsequent expansion of its new plant through the 1930s and 1940s. The firm maintained the plant up until its closure in 2009. The city was awarded a Brownfields grant of $1,519,470 to fund demolition which began mid-2016.

Number of Existing Buildings

Three (3) primary blocks.

Dates of Construction

1898-1919, 1934-1959

Architect

Leo F. Caproni (1940 addition)

Builder

M. Durrschmidt, Derby (1940 addition)

Building Type

• Mill

Architectural Description

The former Chromium Process Company plant is comprised of an adjoining complex of approximately seven identifiable blocks, a freestanding mechanical building, and a detached two-car garage. These have a total frontage of roughly 355 feet on the east side of Canal Street West. The factory’s original block was erected at some point between 1898 and 1919 and is a two-story red brick structure with segmental-arched window openings, brownstone sills, corbelled brick cornice, and a low-pitch gable roof. The building measures roughly 74’ x 58’ feet and has a mix of its original 15-over-15 double-hung wood sash and replacement aluminum windows. Two-story additions adjoin the original block’s southern elevation, while one-story blocks housing storage and a two-car garage extend to the north. The factory’s southern additions were built in phases between 1934 and 1959. They are less detailed than the original block and have brick or concrete foundations, rectangular window openings with concrete sills, steel hopper-style sash, a plain roofline, and flat roofs. Immediately south of the manufacturing plant there is a one-story, 14’ x 24’ concrete block mechanical building, and a one-and-a-half-story, 28’ x 32’ red brick two-car garage. The latter has a pair of roll-up garage doors and steel multi-pane hopper windows.

Exterior Material(s)

• Brick
• Concrete Block

Structural System(s)

• Load Bearing Masonry

Roof Form

• Flat
• Gable

Roof Material

• Asphalt

Power Source

n/a

Condition

Fair

Condition Notes

All portions of the complex are in generally fair condition, however, some of the exterior walls and windows are deteriorated. DECD awarded $1 million for demolition of the site in Setpember 2014.

Specific Location

One legal parcel (113 Canal Street) totaling 0.64 acres on the west side of Canal Street, east side of Canal Street West, and south of the rail line.

Adjacent To

• Water (for Power)

Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Parcel ID / Assessor Record Link

• 129.-31 (for record, use link and type in address or parcel number) / Link →

Acreage

0.64

Use (Present)

• Residential
• Vacant

Form Completed By

Lucas A. Karmazinas

Date

10/27/2014

Bibliography

1. List of Connecticut Manufacturers, 1922, 1924, 1930, 1932.
2. Directory of Connecticut State Manufacturers, 1936, 1939.
3. Atlas of New Haven County, Beers, Ellis & Soule Co., 1868.
4. Derby and Shelton Bird’s Eye View, 1898.
5. Shelton Bird’s Eye View, 1919.
6. Industrial Directory of Connecticut, 1947.
7. Register of War Production Facilities in Connecticut, 1951.
8. Sanborn Map Company, 1924, 1948.
9. Aerial Survey of Connecticut, 1934, 1965.
10. Tercentenary Pictorial and History of the Lower Naugatuck Valley, Malloy, Leo T., 1935.
11. Information, historic photographs and sources for Leo Caproni courtesy Gregg Bateman (2018).
12. Oral history, Chan Wheeler, grandson of Ralph Wheeler