Mill Record Shelton

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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)
Derby Silver Company
Complex Name (Historic)
  • Derby Silver Company
  • Derby Silver Company
  • Everfloat Company
  • International Silver Company
  • Sponge Rubber Products Company
  • Spongex Company
Address or Location
Canal Street, Shelton
County
Fairfield
Historic Designation
Associated Mill Community
n/a
Historic Information

Companies Associated w/Complex

  • De Jur Corporation 1936-1943
  • Derby Silver Company 1873-1898
  • Everfloat Company c.1975-1985
  • International Silver Company 1898-1936
  • Sponge Rubber Products Company (div. of BF Goodrich 1954-1974) 1949-c.1975
  • Spongex Company 1985-

Use (Historic)

Largest Documented Workforce

225 (1915)

Historic Narrative

The factory Derby Silver Company, which was founded in 1872, erected the first buildings on the site in 1873. The company grew quickly, and by 1885 the factory was nearly double the size of what remains today. Derby Silver produced an array of silver-plated articles, from clocks to combs, brushes, flatware, cutlery, tea sets, mirrors and and a range of custom items. In 1898, the company was purchased by the International Silver Company, becoming Factory B of that conglomerate. With the Great Depression and resulting financial losses, International Silver closed Factory B in 1933, and sold the complex in 1936 to the De Jur Corporation, a machine tool manufacturer. During World War II, the building was reportedly occupied by several transient manufacturing operations including an automobile muffler plant and a defense contractor which made bomb-sight optics. In 1949, the complex was purchased by the Sponge Rubber Products Company, itself bought by B.F. Goodrich Company in 1954. Ownership reverted back to a rejuvenated Sponge Rubber Products Company in 1974. A group of former employees took over the company under the name Everfloat, selling in 1985 to the Spongex Company, a foam rubber manufacturer that still operates in the building today.

Architectural Information

Number of Existing Buildings

Three (3) primary blocks with additions.

Dates of Construction

c.1877, c.1915, c. 1950

Architect

n/a

Builder

n/a

Building Type

Architectural Description

The L-Shaped brick factory was at one time nearly twice its present size. The complex appears to have been steam-powered from its construction. The oldest buildings on the site are two perpendicular, three-story brick buildings with dormers built c. 1877. At the northeast end of the complex is a three-story c.1910-1920 built loft building. There is also some post-1950 infill in the center of the complex.

Exterior Material(s)

Structural System(s)

Roof Form

Roof Material

Power Source

Condition

Good, Fair, Deteriorated

Condition Notes

n/a

Property Information

Specific Location

SEC of Canal Street East and Bridge Street.

Adjacent To

Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Parcel ID / Assessor Record Link

  • 129.-21 (for record, use link and type in address or parcel number) / Link →

Acreage

1.04

Use (Present)

Sources

Form Completed By

Mike Forino

Date

n/a

Bibliography

  1. The Hartford Courant, 1890-1936.
  2. Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps, Shelton, CT, 1924-1949.
  3. 'The Derby Silver Co.,' Derby Historical Society (n.d.). Web; accessed August 2014.
  4. 'News of Employers and Employees,' The Iron Trade Review, Vol. 57 (Cleveland: Penton Publishing Co., 1915).
  5. Roth, Matthew, et al, Connecticut: An Inventory of Historic Engineering and Industrial Sites (Washington DC: SIA, 1981).
Representative View(s)Click on image to view full file



Photographer

Mike Forino

Photography Date

n/a