Historic Mills of Connecticut

Companies Associated w/Complex

• Preferred Utilities Mfg. Corp. 1946-Present (2015)

Use (Historic)

• Clocks, Precision Equipment
• Fabricated Metal Products

Largest Documented Workforce

Unknown.

Historic Narrative

The Preferred Utilities Manufacturing Corporation was established by Richard S. Bohn in 1920. The firm initially operated as an installer and distributor of combustion equipment, and was located in New York, New York. During the 1940s, the company began production of proprietary oil and gas burners, as well as a variety of other combustion systems. Bohn went public with the company in 1944, and between 1944 and 1945 raised enough money through a stock offering to erect a new boiler manufacturing plant on South Street in Danbury. This was completed and occupied in 1946. Preferred Utilities expanded and diversified during the early 1960s. The manufacture of combustion instrumentation and controls – including draft controls, draft indicators, damper actuators, flue gas temperature indicators, and smoke opacity indicators – was initiated in 1963, and in 1964 the company acquired the instruments division of General Controls Inc., thus adding further to this line of products. In 1965, the company consolidated operations in Connecticut after moving its New York-based sales and engineering offices into a newly-erected wing at the Danbury plant. Several additional acquisitions further expanded the capabilities of Preferred Utilities during the 1970s. W.N. Best Combustion, a manufacturer of specialty oil and gas burners, was purchased in 1972; Reliance Instruments, a producer of controls and microprocessors, was bought in 1978; and Rimcor Instruments, a manufacturer of analog combustion and oxygen trim controllers, was also acquired in 1978. Today the corporation is delineated into five divisions, each in charge of the firm’s major operations. These are comprised of Preferred Utilities Manufacturing, Preferred Instruments, W.N. Best Combustion, Preferred Engineering, and Preferred Services. The firm continues to specialize in combustion equipment, yet also manufactures products used in nuclear power plants. The company oversees its clients nationwide via regional offices in Massachusetts, New Jersey, Virginia, Illinois, Oklahoma, Texas, and California.

Number of Existing Buildings

Roughly four (4) primary blocks.

Dates of Construction

1946, 1965

Architect

n/a

Builder

n/a

Building Type

• Mill

Architectural Description

The Preferred Utilities Manufacturing Corporation plant is comprised of approximately four primary adjoining blocks located on the east side of South Street and roughly 210’ north of South Street’s intersection with High Street Ext. The complex is set back roughly 440’ from the street and stands on the west side of the rail line. The main manufacturing section of the mill was built in 1946. This is comprised of two blocks, one a three-story, 42’ x 182’ structure, and the other a one-story, 164’ x 162’ block. Both buildings are of steel-frame construction with red brick half walls and door surrounds on the first floor and an expansive framework of steel and glass above. Both blocks have flat roofs, however, the roof of the larger building is interrupted by two 8’-tall clerestory monitors. Large loading bays with roll-up doors on the west (front) elevation provide access for materials and machinery, while several pass-through doors are provided for employees. Two one-story office additions were erected adjoining the north (side) elevation of the plant in 1965. One is of steel-frame and red brick construction and measures 62’ x 108’, while the other is built of concrete block and measures 54 x 78’. A mix of single and ribbon window openings are found on the larger building, while the other has a limited number of small, evenly-spaced window openings running along its north elevation. Both have flat roofs.

Exterior Material(s)

• Brick
• Glass
• Steel

Structural System(s)

• Load Bearing Masonry
• Structural Steel or Iron

Roof Form

• Clerestory Monitor
• Flat
• Monitor

Roof Material

• Tar and Gravel

Power Source

• Electricity

Condition

Good

Condition Notes

The complex is in good condition. All portions of the plant are well maintained.

Specific Location

One 3.18 acre parcel on the northeast side of South Street, south of Shelter Rock Road.

Adjacent To

• Railroad

Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Parcel ID / Assessor Record Link

• K15/82 / Link →

Acreage

3.18

Use (Present)

• Industrial

Form Completed By

Lucas A. Karmazinas

Date

07/27/2015

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 Fairfield County; Baker, William A., 1854.
6. Birdseye Map of Danbury, O.H. Bailey, 1875.
7. Birdseye Map of Danbury, L.R. Burleigh, 1884.
8. Sanborn Map Company, 1884, 1889, 1892, 1897, 1904, 1909, 1919, 1929, 1950.
9. Preferred Utilities Mfg. Corp.: About Us, 2015.