Mill Record Norwalk

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Disclaimer: Content for these properties was compiled in 2014-2017 from a variety of sources and is subject to change. Updates are occasionally made under Property Information, however the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation (dba Preservation Connecticut) makes no representation or warranty that the information is complete or up-to-date.

Complex Name (Common)
Crofut & Knapp Co.
Complex Name (Historic)
  • Crofut & Knapp Co.
Address or Location
25 Van Zant Street, East Norwalk, Norwalk
County
Fairfield
Historic Designation
Associated Mill Community
n/a
What can you do at this mill?
Historic Information

Companies Associated w/Complex

  • Crofut & Knapp Co. 1923-1928
  • Crofut & Knapp Co., div. of Cavanagh-Dobbs, Inc. 1928-1932
  • Hat Corp. of America 1907-1970

Use (Historic)

Largest Documented Workforce

3,000 (mid-20th c.).

Historic Narrative

The Norwalk, Connecticut hat manufacturer Crofut and Knapp began operations in 1858 as a result of a partnership between hatmakers James H. Knapp and Andrew J. Crofut. The firm specialized in firm or ‘hard’ hats and is credited with producing the first derby style hat in America in 1860. These were manufactured in a shop at the corner of North Main and Union Streets Norwalk. The Crofut and Knapp Company was incorporated in 1873 and by the late-19th century it occupied a second sprawling factory complex located at the corner of Tolles and Water Streets in South Norwalk, the heart of Norwalk’s hat industry at the time. Andrew J. Crofut died in 1893, after which the firm was reorganized by James H. Knapp and his son, Philip N. Knapp, as well as William W. Lester, Gilbert E. Bogert, and John Cavanagh. The name of the company, however, was retained. As Crofut and Knapp entered the first decade of the 20th century several significant changes took place in what products the firm manufactured and how they were presented to the public. In 1903, the company joined just a handful of hat manufacturers by advertising its wares at a national level. This was done by posting advertisements in several notable publications, among them being the ‘Saturday Evening Post,’ ‘McClure’s Magazine,’ and ‘Collier’s Encyclopedia.’ Following a dip in the demand for derby hats that took place around 1906, the company began focusing on other styles. This included introducing several lines of soft hats – the Knapp-Felt and Knapp-Felt De Luxe – in 1906, and straw hats in 1908. Another significant branding move taken by Crofut and Knapp was the creation of the ‘Dobbs’ brand of hat in 1908. This developed into a direct competitor with another prominent single-named brand, the Stetson, and became Crofut and Knapp’s best selling product line from the 1910s onward. Much of this success was the result of the creation of ‘Dobbs Stores,’ where the public could purchase the company’s products directly. In 1923, the Crofut and Knapp Company completed and occupied a substantial new plant on Van Zant Street in Norwalk. All production was moved from Water Street to East Norwalk, where 1,000 employees were capable of turning out 15,000,000 hats per year. Five years later, John Cavanagh, by then president of the business, moved to create a holding company, Cavanagh-Dobbs, Inc., which combined control of both Crofut and Knapp and the Dobbs and Company brands. Both entities retained their market presence, however, ownership fell under the single entity. This arrangement lasted until 1932, whereupon Cavanagh-Dobbs merged with the Brooklyn, New York-based Knox Hat Company to form the Hat Corporation of America, of which Cavanagh also served as president. The Hat Corporation of America continued to operate its Norwalk plant until 1970, with employment peaking at around 3,000 during the middle of the century. The company cited the declining popularity of men’s hats as the reason for the closure of the Norwalk plant and work was subsequently consolidated at the firm’s other plants in Sunbury, Pennsylvania and Winchester, Tennessee.

Architectural Information

Number of Existing Buildings

Roughly five (5) adjoining primary blocks.

Dates of Construction

1923, ca. 1950.

Architect

n/a

Builder

n/a

Building Type

Architectural Description

The Crofut and Knapp Company’s East Norwalk plant is comprised of roughly five primary adjoining blocks located on the north side of Van Zant Street, at the northwest corner of Van Zant Street’s intersection with Osborne Avenue. The main building is a four-story reinforced concrete manufacturing block erected in 1923. This measures roughly 302’ x 54’ and it has a four-story, 52’ x 176’ ell adjoining the western end of its north elevation. The ell was also constructed in 1923 and it extends northward from the main building. Both blocks have concrete foundations, heavy reinforced concrete piers and slab floors, red brick apron walls, large rectangular window openings with concrete sills and replacement windows, broad concrete cornices with embossed detailing, and flat roofs. The two piers at the east and west ends of the façade (south elevation) are topped by concrete caps with paneled details and concrete corbels, while the remaining piers are topped by diamond keyhole-shaped details. Four-story stair towers are located on the north side of the main block, and the west side of its primary ell. A two-story, 216’ x 176’ manufacturing block adjoins the north elevation of the main manufacturing building and the east elevation of the primary ell. This was erected in 1923 and is of reinforced concrete construction. The building has a concrete foundation, concrete piers, red brick apron walls, large rectangular window openings with concrete sills, three large clerestory monitors, and a flat roof. A two-story, 81’ x 74’ boiler plant adjoins the northeast corner of the two-story manufacturing block. This is similar in detail to the remainder of the factory. A one-story, 34’ x 179’ block was erected adjoining the northeast corner of the plant and part of the boiler plant’s east elevation around 1950. This is of concrete block construction and has a flat roof.

Exterior Material(s)

Structural System(s)

Roof Form

Roof Material

Power Source

Condition

Fair

Condition Notes

The complex is in fair condition. Although the plant has non-original aluminum siding it appears to be well maintained and retains the majority of its original windows.

Property Information

Specific Location

One legal parcel (25 Van Zant Street) totaling 5.01 acres located on the north side of Van Zant Street, at the northwest corner of Van Vant Street’s intersection with Osborne Avenue.

Adjacent To

Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Parcel ID / Assessor Record Link

Acreage

5.01

Use (Present)

Sources

Form Completed By

Lucas A. Karmazinas

Date

12/11/2015

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; Clark, Richard, 1859.
  6. Atlas of New Haven County, Beers, Ellis & Soule, 1868.
  7. Aerial Survey of Connecticut, 1934, 1951, 1965, 1970, 1985.
  8. Sanborn Map Company, 1891, 1896, 1901, 1906, 1922, 1950, 1958.
  9. Norwalk Directory; Various editions.
  10. Hartford Courant, 1932.
  11. New York Times, 1928, 1953, 1957, 1970.
  12. Norwalk after Two-hundred & Fifty Years; Norwalk Historical and Memorial Library Assoc., 1901.
  13. Norwalk; Grant, Lisa Wilson, 2014.
Representative View(s)Click on image to view full file



Photographer

Lucas A. Karmazinas

Photography Date

12/11/2015