Historic Mills of Connecticut

Companies Associated w/Complex

• Sturm, Ruger & Co. 1958-Present (2016)

Use (Historic)

• Firearms, Weapons, Explosives

Largest Documented Workforce

Unknown.

Historic Narrative

Sturm, Ruger and Company was organized in the Southport section of Fairfield, Connecticut in 1949. The firm was established by partners Alexander McCormick Sturm and William B. Ruger. Ruger was a largely self-taught engineer and inventor with a penchant for firearms and firearm design. After attending two years of business school at the University of North Carolina, Ruger dropped out in order to find a job in the firearms business. He went on to work for several established firms during the 1930s and 1940s, yet eventually decided to strike out on his own. Following the conclusion of the Second World War, Ruger secured a Japanese Nambu pistol, which he attempted to copy in the interest of creating a new .22 caliber handgun based upon the Nambu’s silhouette and bolt system yet also resembling the legendary German Lugar pistol. After successfully producing two of his pistols, Ruger sought out financing that would allow him to manufacture the gun. The design was eventually shown to Alexander Sturm, who was so impressed by the product that he subsequently provided $50,000 in capital and partnered with Ruger to form Sturm, Ruger and Company. Sturm, Ruger and Company initially occupied a small machine shop on Station Street in Southport. The firm’s initial logo, a red eagle, was created by Sturm, who had developed an affinity for heraldry while studying art history at Yale. Sturm died unexpectedly in 1951, however, following which the color of the eagle was changed to black by Ruger in memoriam of his partner. Ruger’s new pistol, which was marketed as the ‘Standard,’ achieved almost immediate success due to the combination of its reliable design and inexpensive price tag. A favorable review of the gun in the publication ‘American Rifleman’ followed its public release and essentially launched Sturm, Ruger and Company on the path to success, however, it was Ruger’s engineering talents and sound management of the company that created the business that would eventually become the largest manufacturer of civilian firearms in the United States. Demand for the Standard necessitated that a new plant be erected in Southport in 1958. The one-millionth Standard came off the production line in 1979, while other notable products, such as the firm’s Single-Six, a single-action revolver; and several sporting rifles would soon be manufactured in similar numbers. Between 1986 and 2010, Sturm, Ruger and Company produced 15.3 million firearms, while in 2011 alone the firm turned out over 1,100,000 guns. The company remains headquartered in Southport and presently operates plants in Newport, New Hampshire; Prescott, Arizona; and Mayoden, North Carolina. These combined facilities employed 2,100 hands in 2013.

Number of Existing Buildings

Roughly five (5) primary blocks.

Dates of Construction

1958, ca. 1980.

Architect

n/a

Builder

n/a

Building Type

• Administration
• Mill
• Warehouse / Production Shed

Architectural Description

The former Sturm, Ruger and Company factory consists of roughly five adjoining primary blocks located on the north side of Post Road, at the northwest corner of Post Road’s intersection with Lacey Place. The plant fronts on Lacey Place and was originally built in 1958. The main block is a two-story, 320’ x 76’ steel-frame structure with a poured concrete foundation, large expanses of metal-frame ribbon windows, vertical aluminum siding, and a flat roof. A one- and two-story, 138’ x 26’ red brick and steel-frame office block also built in 1958 adjoins the center of the main block’s east (façade) elevation. The first story of the office block has a poured concrete foundation, red brick walls, ribbon-style window openings with concrete sills and metal sash, and flat roof sections. The main entrance is located in a recessed Art Deco-style entrance with paired aluminum and glass doors and a concrete frieze panel above the entry. A round plague set in the frieze bears the company’s logo, a red eagle bearing “SR” on its chest. Metal lettering along the block’s roofline south of the entry reads, “STURM, RUGER and CO., INC.” The second story of the office building is of metal-frame construction with vertical aluminum siding and a flat roof. Another one-story ell built in 1958 adjoins the southern end of the main block’s east elevation. This measures roughly 81’ x 20’ and mimics the construction details of the main building. The two final blocks associated with the plant were erected at the northwest corner of the plant in 1980. They consist of two adjoining steel-frame buildings with poured concrete foundations and vertical aluminum siding. The larger of the two blocks measures 42’ x 62’ and has a front-facing gable roof. The smaller block measures 26’ x 43’ and has a flat roof. It adjoins the north elevation of the larger 1980 building.

Exterior Material(s)

• Brick
• Steel

Structural System(s)

• Structural Steel or Iron

Roof Form

• Flat
• Gable

Roof Material

• Asphalt
• Tar and Gravel

Power Source

• Electricity

Condition

Fair

Condition Notes

The plant is in fair condition. All of the original windows appear to have been retained and the various blocks appear well maintained and structurally sound.

Specific Location

One 2.73-acre parcel (2520 Post Rd.) located on the north side of Post Road, at the northwest corner of Post Road’s intersection with Lacey Place.

Adjacent To

• Main Roads

Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Parcel ID / Assessor Record Link

• 229/ 38 / Link →

Acreage

2.73

Use (Present)

• Industrial

Form Completed By

Lucas A. Karmazinas

Date

04/19/2016

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. Sanborn Map Company, 1923, 1939.
6. Aerial Survey of Connecticut, 1934, 1951, 1965, 1970, 1985.
7. Fairfield City Directories, Various editions.
8. New York Times, 2002.
9. Wilson, Robert, 2015.
10. Sturm Ruger website.