Historic Mills of Connecticut

Companies Associated w/Complex

• Foster, Merriam & Co. ca. 1860-ca. 1934
• J.B. Coggins Mfg. Co. ca. 1934-late-20th c.

Use (Historic)

• Fabricated Metal Products

Largest Documented Workforce

350 (1906).

Historic Narrative

Foster, Merriam and Company was originally established in 1835 as Foster, Belden and Company. The original partners were Albert and Hiram Foster, Asaph and Nelson Merriam, Julius Way, and a Mr. Belden. The firm specialized in the production of casters, though in its early stages relying upon other companies for its forgings. By 1850, Mr. Beldon, Julius Way, and Asaph Merriam had sold their interest in the company and the reorganized and expanding firm had purchased the property south of Cross Street from Lauren Merriam. During the second half of the nineteenth century, the company rapidly expanded both its catalog and plant. By the turn of century the former included an extensive line of hardware and furniture trimmings produced by over 350 employees. At its peak, the Foster, Merriam and Company complex filled almost all 1.17 acres of the parcel currently identified as 5 Cross Street. Production continued into the 1930s, however, around 1934, the factory complex passed to the J.B. Coggins Manufacturing Company, brass manufacturers, who occupied it into the late-20th century.

Number of Existing Buildings

Roughly nine (9) blocks.

Dates of Construction

ca. 1860, ca. 1890, ca. 1950, ca. 1953, ca. 1960.

Architect

n/a

Builder

n/a

Building Type

• Mill
• Warehouse / Production Shed

Architectural Description

The former Foster, Merriam and Company plant is comprised of approximately nine primary adjoining and freestanding blocks on the south side of Cross Street, opposite Cross Street’s intersection with Womens Way. The oldest portion of the complex, this erected as a foundry ca, 1860, appears to be the southernmost (rear) block of the group of five one- and two-story blocks on the eastern side of the parcel. These measure roughly 102’ x 152’ overall and have both red brick and poured concrete foundations, red brick walls, flat and low-pitch gable roofs, and a mix of tile and concrete coping. The building’s current primary block is that closest to and facing Cross Street. This was erected ca. 1960 and is one-story tall. It has a five-bay facade comprised of four window openings and an infilled bay once consisting of a garage door style opening. A stepped parapet extends across the roofline. Additional garage door openings can be found on the west (side) elevation of the main block and north elevation of a secondary block adjoining the west elevation of the former. While most of the blocks comprising the remainder of the building are one story tall and have flat roofs, the southernmost block is an exception, standing two stories high with a front-facing gable roof with stepped parapet. It also has arched window openings on its ground floor and rectangular openings with brownstone sills on the second story. The second oldest building associated with the plant is a four-and-a-half-story, 32’ x 62’ red brick building located along the western edge of the property. This was erected to house various operations circa 1890, identified on an 1891 Sanborn Map as including “Rattlers” on the first floor, “Machine Rinse” on the second and third floors, and “Storage” in the attic. The building is a three-bay by ten-bay manufacturing block with red brick foundation and walls, low-pitch side-gabled roof, and one-story brick and frame ells on its north and south (side) elevations. A five-story elevator shaft is located on the east side of the building, while two entries – a pass-through door and roll-up garage-style door – are located on the ground floor of the east (front) elevation. The majority of fenestration consists of six-over-six double-hung wood windows set in segmental-arched openings with brownstone sills.

Exterior Material(s)

• Brick

Structural System(s)

• Load Bearing Masonry

Roof Form

• Flat
• Gable

Roof Material

• Asphalt
• EPDM

Power Source

• Electricity
• Steam

Condition

Fair, Deteriorated

Condition Notes

The factory is in fair to deteriorated condition. The majority of the blocks appear to be structurally sound, however, the oldest show some deterioration of their exterior walls. Most of the windows in the ca. 1890 block (many of which are original) are broken or deteriorated and the state of the roofs is unknown.

Specific Location

One legal parcel (5 Cross St.) totaling 1.17 acres located on the south side of Cross Street, opposite Cross Street’s intersection with Womens Way.

Adjacent To

• Railroad

Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Parcel ID / Assessor Record Link

• 0104-0018-0001-0000 (2 property cards) / Link →

Acreage

1.17

Use (Present)

• Commercial
• Vacant

Form Completed By

Lucas A. Karmazinas

Date

05/22/2015

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 Meriden, Connecticut, O.H. Bailey & Co., 1875.
8. Birdseye View of Meriden, Connecticut, Hughes and Bailey, 1918.
9. Sanborn Map Company, 1884, 1891, 1896, 1901, 1950, 1953.
10. Hartford Courant, 1919, 1941, 1956, 1960, 1967, 1969.
11. An Historic Record and Pictorial Description of the Town of Meriden, Connecticut; Gillespie, C. Bancroft, ed., 1906.
12. A Modern History of New Haven and Eastern New Haven County; Hill, Everett G., 1918.
13. History of New Haven County, Connecticut; Rockey, John L., 1892.