Historic Mills of Connecticut

Companies Associated w/Complex

• Radcliff Bros. 1876-1926
• Sponge Rubber Products Co. 1929-1970

Use (Historic)

• Apparel & Accessories
• Rubber & Chemicals

Largest Documented Workforce

100 (1890)

Historic Narrative

Brothers Walter W. and Fred W. Radcliffe erected their first woolen mill in Shelton in 1876. It was located on the west side of Canal Street West and today roughly comprises the first two stories of the eastern half of the present mill’s southern block. Radcliffe Brothers produced a variety of woolen underwear, hosiery, and stockings, and the company’s success necessitated continual enlargement of the firm’s plant through the 1880s and 1890s. On January 1, 1894 the firm was incorporated with $60,000 in capital. By 1898, the factory had been expanded westward to and northward along Howe Avenue and the firm employed over 100 hands, not including clerks and traveling salesmen. Recognized as one of the leading manufactures of hosiery and underwear in the state during the late-19th and early-20th centuries, Radcliffe Brothers was rocked by tragedy on December 1, 1909. At 6:30 pm one of the plant’s three boilers exploded, projecting the 16-foot long boiler through the brick wall of the building, knocking down a brick chimney, twisting machinery, and blowing out the windows of various neighboring buildings, including those to the north owned by the Huntington Piano Company and Whitlock Printing Press Manufacturing Company. The explosion also killed the plant’s fireman, who was, fortunately, the only employee in the factory at the time. The blast and ensuing fire caused approximately $250,000 in damage, however, the company quickly rebuilt and resumed production. Radcliffe Brothers remained an institution in Shelton until 1926, when the company’s inventory and machinery were liquidated and the plant sold at auction. By this time the factory complex consisted of 80,000 square feet of floor space on a 27,500 square foot lot with spur line access to the rail line. In 1929 the plant was assumed by the Sponge Rubber Products Company, which also operated a mill in Derby. The Sponge Rubber Products Company was originally founded by four men working for the U.S. Rubber Company in Naugatuck, Connecticut, in 1923, but moved its operations to Derby in 1926. The company’s line of sponge rubber products included items such as play balls, toys, novelties, sponges, bath mats, chair cushions, automotive parts, and rug underlayment, and its success necessitated further expansion throughout Shelton during the late 1920s and 1940s. The firm continued to operate in town until the 1970s, by which time it had been acquired by the B.F. Goodrich Company. From 1970 to 1985 the former Radcliffe Brothers plant was used as a community center for senior citizens.

Number of Existing Buildings

Roughly four (4) primary blocks.

Dates of Construction

1876, ca. 1880, ca. 1895, ca. 1906-1919

Architect

n/a

Builder

n/a

Building Type

• Mill
• Powerhouse
• Warehouse / Production Shed

Architectural Description

The former Radcliffe Brothers plant is comprised of an adjoining complex of approximately four identifiable blocks with a total frontage of roughly 132 feet on the east side of Howe Avenue. The factory is anchored at its southwest corner by a four-and-a-half-story red brick block with a front-gabled roof. This measures 54’ x 38’ and has star-shaped masonry anchors, segmental-arched window openings with brownstone sills, and a denticulated brick cornice, the latter terminating in cornice returns on the façade (west elevation). The block was built ca. 1880 and retains its original, paired, four-over-four double-hung sash on its façade, while the fenestration on its south (side) elevation has largely been replaced with double-hung aluminum sash. A four-story red brick ell adjoins the northern side of the aforementioned block. Built ca. 1895, this measures roughly 76’ x 38’ and is of nearly identical detailing, yet has a flat rather than pitched roof. Another block, this measuring 54’ x 188’ extends from the first block eastward to Canal Street West. The southern half of this block was erected as a two-story building in 1876, while the northern portion was built ca. 1880. Raised to three stories by 1919, the combined block is of similar detailing to its northern neighbors yet has replacement windows, lacks a cornice, and has a flat roof. A painted sign on its western (rear) elevation reads 'RADCLIFFE BROS./HOSIERY AND UNDERWEAR' and a pedestrian walkway on the second and third stories of its northern elevation connects the block to the former Whitlock Printing Press Manufacturing Company, which like the Radcliffe Brothers plant was eventually assumed by the Sponge Rubber Products Company. The final block associated with the plant is located on the interior of the L-shaped footprint formed by the blocks described above. This is of red brick construction, stands two stories tall, and has a flat roof.

Exterior Material(s)

• Brick

Structural System(s)

• Load Bearing Masonry

Roof Form

• Flat
• Gable

Roof Material

• Asphalt
• Tar and Gravel

Power Source

• Electricity
• Water (Turbine)
• Water (Wheel)

Condition

Good

Condition Notes

All portions of the complex are in generally good condition, however, the windows in the southeastern block have been replaced with double-hung aluminum units.

Specific Location

Approximately 0.6-acre southern portion of 1.1-acre parcel (415 Howe Avenue) located between Howe Street to the west and Canal Street West to the east.

Adjacent To

• Business District
• Main Roads

Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Parcel ID / Assessor Record Link

• 129.-33 (for record, use link and type in address or parcel number) / Link →

Acreage

1.1

Use (Present)

• Commercial
• Other: The Conti Building houses a variety of businesses as well as shared work space.

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, 1909.
12. Roth, Matthew, et al, Connecticut: An Inventory of Historic Engineering and Industrial Sites (Washington DC: SIA, 1981).