Mill Record New Britain

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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)
Rogers Sash and Door Co.
Complex Name (Historic)
  • Rogers Sash and Door Co.
Address or Location
189 Chestnut Street, New Britain
County
Hartford
Historic Designation
Associated Mill Community
n/a
Historic Information

Companies Associated w/Complex

  • Plimpton and Hills 1999-Present (2015)
  • Rogers Sash and Door Co. 1915-1974

Use (Historic)

Largest Documented Workforce

10 to 24 (1939)

Historic Narrative

The origins of the Rogers Sash and Company date to 1872, when Daniel M. Rogers established D.M. Rogers and Company, a wholesale dealer of doors, windows, blinds, paints, oil, glass, and wallpaper, along with his son, Daniel O. Rogers. The company initially maintained a retail shop in the Stevens Block on the east side of Main Street, however, around 1879 the firm moved across the street to the newly completed Rogers Block (220 Main Street), the first brick block erected on the west side of Main Street, behind which there was a small manufactory and repair shop at 9 Court Street. Daniel M. Rogers continued to serve as president of the firm until his death in 1904, at which time control passed to his son. D.M. Rogers and Company continued to operate until 1907, whereupon it was incorporated as the Rogers Sash and Door Company. Daniel O. Rogers retained the position of president, while Walter J. Hyland and John A. Ericson served as secretary and treasurer, respectively. The three men also served as the company’s board of directors. The firm expanded its office and storage facilities on Court Street throughout the early nineteenth century before a lack of additional land forced them to build a new facility at 189 Chestnut Street in 1915. This consisted of the two northernmost blocks comprising the present building, with the third block added at some point between 1954 and 1965. Daniel O. Rogers died on November 12, 1915, after which control of the Rogers Sash and Door Company was passed to John A. Ericson. Despite the loss of Rogers, the company continued to thrive through the 1910s and 1920s, and a second plant was added at 95 Sanford Street in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1926. The company employed between 10 and 24 employees at each of its locations during the late 1930s, and still numbered about 45 workers in 1974 when the two offices were merged and moved into a new 50,000 square foot facility at 385 Stamm Road in Newington, Connecticut. The firm continues to operate from this location today, while its former Chestnut Street plant has been used as a storage facility for Plimpton and Hills, heating and plumbing suppliers, since 1999.

Architectural Information

Number of Existing Buildings

Three (3) adjoining blocks.

Dates of Construction

1915, 1954-1965.

Architect

n/a

Builder

n/a

Building Type

Architectural Description

The former Rogers Sash and Door Company plant is comprised of three adjoining brick blocks located on the south side of Chestnut Street between Columbus Boulevard and CT Route 9. The two northernmost blocks were erected in 1915, while the addition on the southeast side of the plant was erected at some point between 1954 and 1965. The two original blocks stand three stories high and are of red brick pier construction. The block fronting on Chestnut Street measures roughly 115’ x 51’, while that abutting its southern elevation measures roughly 76’ x 30’. Both have segmental-arched window openings, stone sills, corbelled brick cornices, and flat roofs. The primary entrance to the plant is located on the north elevation of the larger block. This consists of a pass-through door set in a segmental-arched opening with concrete keystones and flanked on each side by a narrow round-arched window. The smaller of the two blocks has numerous loading bays and pass-through entries on its first floor, these accessed by docking areas on its south and west elevations. The third block associated with the plant is three stories in height and measures roughly 34’ x 31’. The first floor is similar in construction to the earlier blocks, while the upper stories are constructed of brick-colored concrete block. Segmental-arched window openings are present on the first floor, yet the upper level walls lack openings of any kind. The building has a shed roof and the roofline is wrapped with a plain metal cornice. The majority of the original window openings throughout the plant have been infilled with rusticated brick, however, several have been reduced in size with brick and new windows, or simply boarded up.

Exterior Material(s)

Structural System(s)

Roof Form

Roof Material

Power Source

Condition

Fair

Condition Notes

The factory is in fair condition. The majority of the exterior walls appear to be in good condition, however, there is some staining and deterioration visible, particularly on the north (front) side of the building. The majority of the original window openings have been infilled with brick, reduced in size with brick, or boarded up.

Property Information

Specific Location

One 0.57-acre parcel (189 Chestnut Street) on the south side of Chestnut Street between Columbus Boulevard and CT Route 9.

Adjacent To

Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Parcel ID / Assessor Record Link

Acreage

0.57

Use (Present)

  • Commercial
  • Other: Purchased 9/2022 by Alex Opuszynski, Vanguard Client Group for redev as 30 apartments units to be called The Study on Chestnut.
Sources

Form Completed By

Lucas A. Karmazinas

Date

02/12/2015

Bibliography

  1. List of Connecticut Manufacturers, 1922, 1924, 1930, 1932.
  2. Directory of Connecticut State Manufacturers, 1936, 1939.
  3. Map of Hartford County, H & C.T. Smith, 1855.
  4. Atlas of Hartford County, Beers, Baker & Tilden, 1869.
  5. Industrial Directory of Connecticut, 1947.
  6. Register of War Production Facilities in Connecticut, 1951.
  7. Sanborn Map Company, 1884, 1890, 1895, 1909, 1950, 1954.
  8. Aerial Survey of Connecticut, 1934, 1965.
  9. Birdseye View of New Britain, 1875.
  10. New Britain City Directory, 1860-1960.
  11. Hartford Courant, 1904, 1907, 1915, 1974.
  12. History of New Britain, With Sketches of Farmington and Berlin, Camp, David, N., 1889.
Representative View(s)Click on image to view full file



Photographer

Lucas A. Karmazinas

Photography Date

02/12/2015