Historic Mills of Connecticut

Companies Associated w/Complex

• Wheeler Electronic Corp., Div. of Sperry Corp. ca. 1955-late 20th c.
• Wheeler Insulated Wire Co. ca. 1948-ca. 1955

Use (Historic)

• Electrical Equipment
• Fabricated Metal Products

Largest Documented Workforce

Unknown

Historic Narrative

The Wheeler Insulated Wire Company was originally established in 1907 as the Reliable Machine Company. The firm was organized in Bridgeport, Connecticut, by Donald Noble, a former employee of the Wheeler & Wilson Mfg. Co. The business initially specialized in general machine work, however, by the mid-1910s the firm had begun manufacturing magnetic wire. In 1922, the company changed its name to the Wheeler Insulated Wire Company and added insulated wire to its portfolio. Three years later, the firm moved to 378 Washington Avenue in Bridgeport. In 1943, Wheeler Insulated Wire Company was acquired by the Sperry Corporation of New York, an instrument and electronics manufacturer. The firm continued to operate in Bridgeport throughout the Second World War and the business made significant contributions to the war effort, these perhaps most notably including providing a number of components used in the ‘Marine ‘Raider’ Receiver, a wireless radio manufactured by the New York-based Emerson Radio and Phonograph Corporation. After the war, the company phased out production of insulated wire in order to focus on electronics. Among such products were sound powered handsets used in a variety applications including emergency service providers, electrical linemen, and naval communications. In 1946, the Sperry Corporation moved the Wheeler Insulated Wire Company into its Waterbury Tool Division plant on East Aurora Street in Waterbury, Connecticut, where it remained for about two years. Around 1948, a new dedicated plant was erected next door at 150 East Aurora Street, where the company remained in operation into the late 20th c. From about 1955 onwards, the company operated as the Wheeler Electronic Corporation, a change reflective of the company’s operations.

Number of Existing Buildings

Roughly seven (7) primary blocks.

Dates of Construction

ca. 1948, ca 1950.

Architect

n/a

Builder

n/a

Building Type

• Administration
• Mill
• Warehouse / Production Shed

Architectural Description

The former Wheeler Insulated Wire Company plant is located on the north side of East Aurora Street, at the northwest corner of East Aurora Street’s intersection with Gear Street. The factory is comprised of roughly seven one- and two-story steel-frame and red brick blocks with a combined footprint of approximately 235’ x 555’. The factory buildings were erected ca. 1948 and are of steel-frame construction. They have concrete foundations, low red brick apron walls, large rectangular window openings with oncrete sills (these presently infilled with corrugated metal sheathing), infilled clerestory monitors, and flat roofs. Two adjoining concrete block office buildings (these forming an L-shaped footprint and measuring roughly 80’ x 46’ and 40’ x 30’) abut the eastern (front) end of the plant, while the former boiler plant and a concrete block warehouse are located at the northwest corner of the complex. The office and warehouse were likely built ca. 1950.

Exterior Material(s)

• Brick
• Concrete
• Concrete Block
• Steel

Structural System(s)

• Load Bearing Masonry
• Structural Steel or Iron

Roof Form

• Flat

Roof Material

• EPDM
• Tar and Gravel

Power Source

• Electricity

Condition

Fair

Condition Notes

The plant is in fair condition. Many of the original windows throughout the facility have been replaced or the openings infilled with aluminum sheathing or plywood.

Specific Location

One 2.52-acre parcel (150 East Aurora Street) located on the north side of East Aurora Street, at the northwest corner of East Aurora Street’s intersection with Gear Street.

Adjacent To

n/a

Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Parcel ID / Assessor Record Link

• 0143-0783-0021 / Link →

Acreage

2.52

Use (Present)

• Commercial
• Other: for sale 2/2019
• Vacant

Form Completed By

Lucas Karmazinas

Date

11/17/2016

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, 1884, 1900, 1924, 1962.
6. Aerial Survey of Connecticut, 1934, 1951, 1965, 1970, 1985.
7. Bridgeport City Directories, Price & Lee Co., 1890-1960.
8. Waterbury City Directories, Price & Lee Co., 1890-1960.
9. History of Waterbury; Pape, William Jamieson, 1918.
10. Hartford Courant, 1927, 1929, 1948, 1949.