Historic Mills of Connecticut

Companies Associated w/Complex

• Acme Clothing Manufacturing Co. ca. 1927-ca. 1934
• Congress Lingerie Manufacuring Co. 1960s
• Empire Bag Co. mid-1940s
• Empire Engineering Co. ca. 1960-late-20th c.
• Harry Berger Handbags, Inc. late 1930s
• Kaufman & Wolf Co. mid-1940s
• Klein Bros. Co. ca. 1927-ca. 1934
• Perfect Undergarment Co. late 1930s
• Taylor Knit Web Corp. late 1930s
• Union Specialty Co. 1922-ca. 1935

Use (Historic)

• Apparel & Accessories

Largest Documented Workforce

Unknown.

Historic Narrative

NOTE: THIS PROPERTY WAS DETERMINED INELIGIBLE FOR SR LISTING IN 2020 BY SHPO. The Union Specialty Company was founded in Bridgeport, Connecticut in 1919. The firm was organized by Christopher C. Donahue, a former employee at the Thomas P. Taylor Company, a manufacturer of notions for women’s wear, including corset clasps and paper boxes. Donahue’s company manufactured metal novelties, namely hose supporters, and he established production in space rented from the New System Laundry Company at 138 Hurd Avenue. The business remained on Hurd Avenue for less than three years, as a new dedicated factory was erected for the Union Specialty Company at 74 Oak Street in Bridgeport in 1922. Christopher Donahue served as president of the Union Specialty Company, while his wife, Dora M. Donahue, held the role of vice president. After Christopher Donahue’s death in 1928, however, Dora Donahue held both executive roles. She maintained this situation for just one year and the firm was sold in 1929. During the late 1920s, the Union Specialty Company began renting portions of its plant to two other manufacturers, the Acme Clothing Manufacturing Company and the Klien Brothers Company, a hat manufacturer. These two companies vacated the factory by 1934, while the Union Specialty Company remained in business for another year. The Oak Street factory continued to house a mix of small manufacturing firms throughout the mid-to-late 20th century. During the late 1930s these consisted of Taylor Knit Web Corporation, elastic goods manufacturers; the Perfect Undergarment Company; and Harry Berger Handbags, Incorporated; however by the mid-1940s, all three businesses had left the plant. In 1944, the building’s occupants included Kaufman and Wolf, underwear manufacturers; and the Empire Bag Company, pocketbook manufacturers. These firms had similarly vacated the factory by 1960, when the tenants consisted of the Empire Engineering Company and Congress Lingerie Manufacturing Company.

Number of Existing Buildings

One (1) freestanding block.

Dates of Construction

1922

Architect

n/a

Builder

n/a

Building Type

• Mill

Architectural Description

The former Union Specialty Company factory consists of a single freestanding building located on the east side of Oak Street, roughly 150’ northwest of Oak Street’s intersection with George Street. The mill was built in 1922 and consists of a four-story, 50’ x 116’ red brick block with a concrete foundation, segmental-arched window openings with brick sills, a plain brick parapet, and flat roof. Surviving original fenestration consists of eight-over-eight double-hung wood sash. There are three entrances located on the façade (west elevation), all of which consists of pass-through doors set in segmental-arched openings. One of the entrances is located one-half-story above grade and is accessed via a brick and concrete stair with a tubular iron rail. A four-story red brick stair tower with a shed roof rises from the northeast corner of the building and provides an additional exit on the west (rear) elevation where there is a concrete stair one-half-story above grade.

Exterior Material(s)

• Brick

Structural System(s)

• Load Bearing Masonry

Roof Form

• Flat

Roof Material

• Tar and Gravel

Power Source

• Electricity

Condition

Fair

Condition Notes

The complex is in fair condition. Many of the original windows throughout the plant have been retained and, overall, the plant appears well maintained and structurally sound.

Specific Location

One 0.20-acre parcel (74 Oak Street) located on the east side of Oak Street, roughly 150’ northwest of Oak Street’s intersection with George Street.

Adjacent To

n/a

Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Parcel ID / Assessor Record Link

• 40/1025/2 / Link →

Acreage

0.2

Use (Present)

• Other: Summer 2022: after? fire at adjacent mill building at 307 Center Street, water in building and start of floor collapse in one corner
• Vacant

Form Completed By

Lucas A. Karmazinas

Date

01/19/2016

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. Map of Fairfield County; Baker, William A., 1854.
6. Atlas of the City of Bridgeport; J.B. Beers & Co., 1876.
7. Atlas of the City and Town of Bridgeport; G.M. Hopkins & Co., 1888, 1917.
8. Atlas of Bridgeport; Kershaw, William H., 1910.
9. Sanborn Map Company, 1884, 1888, 1898, 1904, 1913, 1939, 1950.
10. Aerial Survey of Connecticut, 1934, 1951, 1965, 1970, 1985.
11. Bridgeport City Directory, Various editions.
12. A History of the Old Town of Stratford and the City of Bridgeport; Orcutt, Samuel, 1886.
13. History of Bridgeport and Vicinity; S.J. Clarke Publishing, 1917.