Mill Record Bridgeport

RETURN TO ‘FIND MILLS’

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)
New System Laundry Co.
Complex Name (Historic)
  • New System Laundry Co.
Address or Location
140 Hurd Avenue, Bridgeport
County
Fairfield
Historic Designation
Associated Mill Community
n/a
Historic Information

Companies Associated w/Complex

  • Bridgeport Shirt Corp. ca. 1925-ca. 1935
  • D.H. Deery & Co. 1916-ca. 1920
  • Hydraulic Manufacturing Co. ca. 1960
  • New System Laundry Co. 1916-ca. 1963
  • Precision Mold Co. ca. 1960
  • Roberts Machine Tool Company, Inc. ca. 1960
  • Russ Lang Corp. ca. 1960
  • W.E. Krouse & Co., Inc. ca. 1935-ca. 1955

Use (Historic)

Largest Documented Workforce

Unknown.

Historic Narrative

The factory building identified as 138-140 Hurd Avenue in Bridgeport, Connecticut was built in 1916 to house the New Specialty Laundry Company and D.H Deery and Company, a leatherworking business. Both firms were founded in Bridgeport, with the New System Laundry Company having been organized by William Hennessey and William Elliot in 1907, and the D.H Deery and Company established in 1913. Before moving to Hurd Avenue, the two firms had previously shared a space at 37 East Washington Street in Bridgeport, however, only the New System Laundry Company would survive long after the relocation. By 1920, Daniel H. Deery, the founder and president of the D.H Deery and Company had closed the business and found employment as an agent for the John Hancock Life Insurance Company. The New System Laundry Company, on the other hand, would go on to be the property’s most stable tenant, as it remained in business on Hurd Avenue until around 1963. In the meantime, the Hurd Avenue plant served as an incubator or short-term space for a variety of industrial firms. The first to join the New System Laundry Company after the departure of D.H Deery and Company was the Union Specialty Company, manufacturer of hose supporters operated by Christopher C. Donahue, which shared the factory until a dedicated plant was built for the firm at 74 Oak Street, Bridgeport, in 1922. Extra space in the factory was next leased to the Bridgeport Shirt Corporation, which occupied the plant until the early 1930s, when the business moved to 2 Main Street, Bridgeport. A manufacturer of novelties, W.E. Krouse and Brother, filled the vacancy left by the Bridgeport Shirt Corporation. This firm was founded by Walter E. and Louis G. Krouse, and later operated as W.E. Krouse and Company. The latter entity remained on Hurd Avenue until the mid-1950s. A revolving series of companies occupied the space after the departure of W.E. Krouse and Company, several of these overlapping for several years during the late 1950s and early 1960s. A sample of these companies includes the Roberts Machine Tool Company, the Hydraulic Manufacturing Company, the Russ Lang Corporation, and the Precision Mold Company. Since the New System Laundry Company was closed by Mary E. Hennessey, the widowed daughter-in-law of William Hennessey, during the mid-1960s, the factory at 138-140 Hurd Street has continued to house a mix of small industrial and commercial firms.

Architectural Information

Number of Existing Buildings

Five (5) adjoining primary blocks.

Dates of Construction

1916, ca. 1916, ca. 1920

Architect

n/a

Builder

n/a

Building Type

Architectural Description

The former New System Laundry Company plant is comprised of five adjoining primary blocks located on the east side of Hurd Avenue, roughly 225’ south of Hurd Avenue’s intersection with Goodsell Street. The main manufacturing block and boiler house are of red brick construction and were built in 1916. The manufacturing building is a two-story, 38’ x 155’ block with a concrete foundation, red brick walls, rectangular window openings with heavy stone sills and lintels, a red brick parapet with tile coping, and a flat roof. A recessed panel with a corbelled brick header spans the façade (west elevation) parapet. Two entrances are located on the building’s façade. Both are accessed via short concrete stairs and consist of plain rectangular openings with stone sills and lintels. The boiler house adjoins the main block’s east elevation. It is a one-and-a-half-story, 17’ x 18’ block with a concrete foundation, red brick walls, rectangular window openings with heavy stone sills and lintels, and a shed roof. A one-story, 20’ x 44’ frame block adjoins the boiler house’s east elevation. This was built ca. 1916 and has a shed roof. There are garage-style bays will roll-up doors on both the north and south elevations. Another block erected ca. 1916 adjoins the east elevation of the garage building. This is of red brick construction, measures 35’ x 20’, and stands two stories tall. It has three garage bays on the ground floor of its south elevation, these with rectangular window openings above. The final block associated with the factory was erected ca. 1920. It is a one-story, 50’ x 50’ frame building with vinyl siding, both pass-through and garage door openings, and 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. The majority of the original windows have been replaced, however, overall, the various blocks appear well maintained and structurally sound.

Property Information

Specific Location

One 0.25-acre parcel (140 Hurd Avenue) located on the east side of Hurd Avenue, roughly 225’ south of Hurd Avenue’s intersection with Goodsell Street.

Adjacent To

n/a

Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Parcel ID / Assessor Record Link

Acreage

0.25

Use (Present)

Sources

Form Completed By

Lucas A. Karmazinas

Date

01/19/2016

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 Fairfield County; Baker, William A., 1854.
  6. Atlas of the City of Bridgeport; J.B. Beers & Co., 1876.
  7. Atlas of the City and Town of Bridgeport; G.M. Hopkins & Co., 1888, 1917.
  8. Atlas of Bridgeport; Kershaw, William H., 1910.
  9. Sanborn Map Company, 1884, 1888, 1898, 1904, 1913, 1939, 1950.
  10. Aerial Survey of Connecticut, 1934, 1951, 1965, 1970, 1985.
  11. Bridgeport City Directory, Various editions.
  12. Hartford Courant, 1938.
  13. A History of the Old Town of Stratford and the City of Bridgeport; Orcutt, Samuel, 1886.
  14. History of Bridgeport and Vicinity; S.J. Clarke Publishing, 1917.
Representative View(s)Click on image to view full file


Photographer

Lucas A. Karmazinas

Photography Date

01/19/2016