Historic Mills of Connecticut

Companies Associated w/Complex

• Electrical Products Mfg. 1971-Present (2016)
• Richmond Engineering Co. 1951-1970

Use (Historic)

• Electrical Equipment

Largest Documented Workforce

65 (1970).

Historic Narrative

This small plant was originally constructed in 1951 for the Richmond Engineering Company, a sheet metal and machined parts manufacturer that specialized in the production of electrical transistors and coils. The Richmond Engineering Company was organized in Norwalk, Connecticut by Harry Richmond ca. 1945. The firm originally occupied a shop at 48 Water Street in South Norwalk, yet moved to Concord Street after its new and larger factory was completed in 1951. The company remained on Concord Street until 1970. In 1970, the Richmond Engineering Company acquired and merged with another Norwalk firm, the Lock City Plating and Manufacturing Company. The latter business specialized in sheet metal painting and plating and it was felt by the owners of the Richmond Engineering Company, which at that point consisted of Peter Monteleone and Albert Sorrentino, that combining the two complementary firms would benefit all involved. All work was consolidated in the Meadow Street plant of the Lock City Plating and Manufacturing Company, where the 65 employees of the Richmond Engineering Company joined with Lock City Plating’s 20 hands. After the departure of the Richmond Engineering Company, the firm’s Concord Street shop was occupied by a variety of small commercial and industrial firms, among them being the PandJ Decorating Company and the Westport Design and Machinery Company. In 1986, the plant was acquired by Ecometics, Inc. a Norwalk-based firm organized in 1971. Ecometics is a manufacturer of health personal care products that works on a contract basis to meet the production and packaging needs for larger firms with problematic product lines or limited capacity. Its output includes skin creams and lotions, deodorants and antiperspirants, shampoos, perfumes, room fragrances, etc. The firm continues to operate the Concord Street plant, which is substantially enlarged ca. 1986.

Number of Existing Buildings

Five (5) adjoining primary blocks.

Dates of Construction

1951, ca. 1986.

Architect

n/a

Builder

n/a

Building Type

• Mill
• Warehouse / Production Shed

Architectural Description

The former Richmond Engineering Company plant is comprised of five primary adjoining blocks located on the south side of Concord Street, roughly 125’ west of Concord Street’s intersection with Day Street. The mill’s two original blocks were erected in 1951 and are those located closest to Concrete Street. Both stand one-story in height and are of concrete block construction with red brick apron walls, large rectangular window openings with red brick sills, multipane metal sash with awning-style openings (many in ribbon-style arrangements), and low-pitch arched roofs. The northernmost of the two blocks measures roughly 92’ x 46’, while the second block adjoins its south elevation and measures 102’ x 52’. A one-story, 24’ x 12’ entry vestibule adjoins the western end of the northern block’s north elevation. This has a single pass-through door, a wrap-around ribbon window, and a flat roof. A one-story, 10’ x 24’ shipping block adjoins the west elevation of the larger building. This has a single loading bay with a roll-up style metal door, and a flat roof. A one-story, 95’ x 90’ manufacturing block was constructed adjoining the southern end of the plant ca. 1986. This is of metal-frame construction and has a concrete foundation, corrugated metal siding, and a side-gabled roof. The building lacks window openings but has two loading bays with roll-up style doors on its west elevation.

Exterior Material(s)

• Brick
• Concrete Block
• Steel

Structural System(s)

• Load Bearing Masonry
• Structural Steel or Iron

Roof Form

• Flat
• Gable
• Round

Roof Material

• Asphalt

Power Source

• Electricity

Condition

Fair

Condition Notes

The complex is in fair condition. Although some of the windows in the oldest sections of the plant have been replaced, the factory appears to be well maintained and structurally sound.

Specific Location

One legal parcel (19 Concord Street) totaling 0.15 acres located on the south side of Concord Street, roughly 125’ west of Concord Street’s intersection with Day Street.

Adjacent To

n/a

Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Parcel ID / Assessor Record Link

• 2/82/8A/0. / Link →

Acreage

0.15

Use (Present)

• Industrial

Form Completed By

Lucas A. Karmazinas

Date

11/06/2015

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 New Haven County; Clark, Richard, 1859.
6. Atlas of New Haven County, Beers, Ellis & Soule, 1868.
7. Aerial Survey of Connecticut, 1934, 1951, 1965, 1970, 1985.
8. Sanborn Map Company, 1891, 1896, 1901, 1906, 1922, 1950, 1958.
9. Norwalk Directory; Various editions.
10. Norwalk Hour, 1970.
11. Norwalk after Two-hundred & Fifty Years; Norwalk Historical and Memorial Library Assoc., 1901.
12. Norwalk; Grant, Lisa Wilson, 2014.