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)
Griffin Button Co. DEMO’D 2017
Complex Name (Historic)
  • Griffin Button Co.
Address or Location
223 Canal Street, Shelton
County
Fairfield
Historic Designation
n/a
Associated Mill Community
n/a
Historic Information

Companies Associated w/Complex

  • Griffin Button Co. 1890-1943
  • Shelton Brass Hardware Company 1884-1890
  • Sponge Rubber Products Company ca. 1949-late 20th c.

Use (Historic)

Largest Documented Workforce

50-100 (1928)

Historic Narrative

The first manufactory on this site was operated by the Shelton Brass Hardware Company, which was incorporated in 1884. The company was led by Thomas B. DeForest, president; and H.S. DeForest, secretary and treasurer; and employed 50 hands. By 1887, the firm was credited as being among the leading brass founders in the United States and its large catalog included a wide array of products including yacht fixtures, cane trimmings, awning hardware, ice house trimmings, flag pole tips and pint, brass eagles, and store fixtures. The Shelton Brass Hardware Company held the plant at 223 Canal Street until 1890. The factory was next occupied by the Griffin Button Company, which relocated from the Botsford section of Newtown, Connecticut. The Griffin Button Company was founded in 1846 by John Griffin for the manufacture of horn buttons. First established as a winter cottage industry, horn buttons were originally produced using cow horns and hoofs worked into shape with a combination of charcoal heated presses and hand-powered lathes. A significant improvement to the process was made in 1884, whereupon John Griffin’s son, George, designed a steam heated hydraulic double press that improved both the quality and output of the company’s product. Shortly thereafter, Griffin’s other son, Bruce, designed an automatic button lathe, further increasing the potential for year-round productivity. Recognizing the opportunity that these technological advances made possible, George and Bruce Griffin acquired their father’s interest in the firm and moved the company to Shelton in 1890. The Hartford Courant commented on the move and the machinery designed by George Griffin, noting that it was, 'an elaborate and intricate machine for the making of horn buttons which it is thought is to revolutionize the manufacture of the article from that material and which will eventually give to this firm the monopoly of that industry.' About 50 hands were to be immediately employed by the company once their machinery was installed and operational in their new plant. Following the death of George Griffin in 1902, the company was incorporated and the role of president passed to Bruce (who had by this time added a 'g' to the end of his last name in order to differentiate him from non-related Griffins in town). It was also about this time that the plant’s original southern block was raised from two-and-a-half to three stories, and the northern wing constructed. Bruce Griffing remained head of the company until his own death on January 10, 1933. Control of the firm then passed to Bruce’s widow, Katherine Griffing, who ran the company until it closed down in 1943. The factory remained vacant until ca. 1949, when it was acquired by the Sponge Rubber Products Company, which maintained a primary plant 0.25-mile to the southwest on Howe Avenue.

Architectural Information

Number of Existing Buildings

Roughly ten (10) primary blocks.

Dates of Construction

ca. 1880, ca. 1902, ca. 1902-1924

Architect

n/a

Builder

n/a

Building Type

Architectural Description

The former Griffin Button Company plant is comprised of an adjoining complex of approximately ten identifiable blocks with a total frontage of roughly 175 feet on the east side of Canal Street. The primary factory buildings, these consisting of the group fronting on Canal Street and extending east on the southern half of the parcel, are of red brick construction, while the remaining storage structures are built of brick, concrete block, or wood frame. The main manufacturing building was constructed as a two-and-a-half-story structure at the southwest corner of the parcel ca. 1880, while the majority of the remainder of the plant was constructed in phases between ca. 1880 and 1924. The buildings range between one and three stories in height and have a mix of flat and pitched roofs. The main manufacturing building is typical of industrial structures erected during the late 19th century and is characterized by its narrow width, comparatively high overall length, and thick masonry walls pierced by repeating bays of large window openings. The original block measures 86’ x 36’. Its exterior walls are interrupted by star-shaped masonry anchors and rise to brick parapet with simple cornice and tile coping. The door and window openings throughout the building have segmental-arched openings and brownstone sills. All of the windows have modern sliding aluminum sash, while some of the window openings have been reduced with metal panel infill or completely infilled with brick. Additions to the original block include a 54’ x 24’ ell on its northern elevation, this erected ca. 1902, and a group of three additions measuring roughly 84’ x 66’ overall adjoining the east (rear) side of the building, these built between ca. 1880 and 1924.

Exterior Material(s)

Structural System(s)

Roof Form

Roof Material

Power Source

Condition

Fair, Deteriorated

Condition Notes

All portions of the building are in generally fair condition, however, a number of the original window openings have either been infilled with brick, or partially infilled and the historic sash replaced with sliding aluminum units.

Property Information

Specific Location

One legal parcel (223 Canal Street) totaling 1.26 acres on the east side of Canal Street.

Adjacent To

Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Parcel ID / Assessor Record Link

  • 129.-18 (for record, use link and type in address or parcel number) / Link →

Acreage

1.26

Use (Present)

n/a

Sources

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. The Hartford Courant, 1890.
  12. 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

Lucas A. Karmazinas

Photography Date

10/27/2014