Historic Mills of Connecticut

Companies Associated w/Complex

• Himmel Bros. Co. 1937-1989
• Leed-Himmel Industries, Inc. 1989-ca. late-1990s

Use (Historic)

• Fabricated Metal Products

Largest Documented Workforce

25-49 (1939).

Historic Narrative

The origins of the Himmel Brothers Company date to 1909 and the formation of Himmel and Roth, a cornice manufacturing company established by Frederick Himmel and Max Roth. Himmel and Roth occupied a shop at 283 Congress Avenue in New Haven, Connecticut through the 1910s, however, around 1920 the partnership was dissolved. Frederick Himmel then joined with his younger brother, Isadore Himmel, to form a new metal fabrication firm that specialized in the manufacture of metal storefronts. The resultant Himmel Brothers Company initially occupied a shop on Oak Street in New Haven, yet had moved to 204 Commerce Street by 1925. The Himmel Brothers Company was incorporated in 1926. Frederick Himmel served as president and treasurer, while Isadore Himmel held the dual role of vice president and secretary. The firm remained in New Haven until 1937, whereupon a new highly detailed Art Deco style office building and factory was erected on Dixwell Avenue in Hamden. The company established its ‘HIMCO’ line of extruded and rolled aluminum and glass storefronts during the 1940s, and this product remained the core of the firm’s business throughout the 20th century. In 1989, the Himmel Brothers Company merged with the Leed Architectural Products Company, a metal fabrication firm organized in Hamden in 1946. The resultant Leed-Himmel Industries, Inc. erected a new plant on Leeder Hill Drive in Hamden in 1967, but retained its Dixwell Avenue plant until the late 1990s. Leed-Himmel Industries remains in operation on Leeder Hill Drive, however, the company’s former factory on Dixwell Avenue stands vacant and deteriorating.

Number of Existing Buildings

Roughly six (6) primary blocks.

Dates of Construction

1937, ca. 1937, 2013.

Architect

Leo F. Caproni

Builder

n/a

Building Type

• Administration
• Warehouse / Production Shed

Architectural Description

The former Connecticut Himmel Brothers Company plant is comprised of roughly six adjoining and freestanding primary blocks located on the east side of Dixwell Avenue, opposite Dixwell Avenue’s intersection with Beacon Street. All but one of the buildings were erected in or around 1937 and are of red brick construction. The two most prominent blocks consist of a one-story, 84’ x 30’ office building and adjoining one-story, 31’ x 22’ ell located on the western side of the complex facing Dixwell Avenue. The buildings are of a highly detailed Art Deco design and they bear extensive metal trimwork likely fabricated by the company itself. They have a concrete foundation, rectangular window openings with metal-trimmed sash, and a stepped brick parapet. The corners of the office’s façade (west elevation) are rounded and have curved windows wrapping around the sides of the block. A projecting pavilion centered on the façade likewise bears rounded corners, these with vertical brick detailing. The primary entrance is centered on the façade and consists of a stone stair with aluminum trim and a recessed entry flanked by curved glass block sidelights. The original doors have been removed but it is likely that they originally consisted of paired metal and glass doors topped by a wide glass transom. A flat, half-circular metal awning shelters the entrance and is supported by a single cable anchored in the parapet above. A backlit sign located in the parapet formerly read ‘THE HIMMEL BROS CO.,’ however, this has been removed. Three adjoining one-story manufacturing and storage blocks are located east of the office building. These measure 120’ x 196’, 80’ x 200’, and 40’ x 30’. The largest block adjoins the east elevation of the office, while the other two blocks adjoin the east and south elevations of the main manufacturing block, respectively. The two former manufacturing buildings are of brick pier construction and originally had large rectangular window openings with multipane sash, however, they have since been clad in aluminum siding and their exterior details obscured. Skylights and clerestory monitors formerly located along the roofs have also been removed. The 40’ x 30’ block was erected in 2013 after an earlier block was demolished. The new construction has a concrete foundation, aluminum siding, and flat roof. The final block associated with the former Himmel Brothers Company plant is a freestanding building located roughly 78’ south of the aforementioned blocks. It is a one-story, 40’ x 148’ red brick storage structure with a concrete foundation, red brick piers with concrete caps, rectangular window openings with fixed multipane metal sash, and a flat roof. The block has two loading bays on its north (front) elevation, one with a metal roll-up style door and the other infilled with wood and foam board.

Exterior Material(s)

• Brick
• Steel

Structural System(s)

• Load Bearing Masonry
• Structural Steel or Iron

Roof Form

• Flat

Roof Material

• Asphalt

Power Source

• Electricity

Condition

Fair, Deteriorated

Condition Notes

The complex is in fair to deteriorated condition. The former manufacturing blocks have been clad in aluminum siding yet appear to be structurally sound. The roof of the office, on the other hand, has collapsed and the building is rapidly deteriorating as a result of neglect. 2017 redevelopment plans purportedly call for reuse of the 1937 Deco blocks.

Specific Location

One 5.06-acre parcel (1409 Dixwell Avenue) located on the east side of Dixwell Avenue, opposite Dixwell Avenue’s intersection with Beacon Street.

Adjacent To

• Main Roads

Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Parcel ID / Assessor Record Link

• 2326/ 421 / Link →

Acreage

5.06

Use (Present)

• Other: Redev mixed use in works 2017
• Vacant

Form Completed By

Lucas A. Karmazinas

Date

01/13/2015

Bibliography

1. List of Connecticut Manufacturers, 1922, 1924, 1930, 1932.
2. Directory of Connecticut State Manufacturers, 1936, 1939.
3. Map of New Haven County, H & C.T. Smith, 1856.
4. Atlas of New Haven County, Beers, Ellis & Soule, 1868.
5. Industrial Directory of Connecticut, 1947.
6. Register of War Production Facilities in Connecticut, 1951.
7. Sanborn Map Company, 1923, 1951.
8. Aerial Survey of Connecticut, 1934, 1951, 1965, 1970, 1985.
9. New Haven City Directory, Various dates.
10. Leed-Himmel Industries website.
11. A Modern History of New Haven and Eastern New Haven County, Clark, S.J., 1918.
12. Hamden; Hamden Historical Society, 2004.
13. Caproni, Leo F. ‘Leo F. Caproni Architect & Engineer’ (1938 booklet)
14. Information, historic photographs and sources for Leo Caproni courtesy Gregg Bateman (2018).