Historic Mills of Connecticut

Companies Associated w/Complex

• E.C. Maltby & Sons (Maltby Stevens and Curtiss Co.) ca. 1875-ca. 1888
• Premier & Potter Printing Press Co., Inc. 1919-ca. 1936
• Sponge Rubber Products Co. ca. 1936-1970
• Whitlock Machine Co. 1888-ca. 1900
• Whitlock Printing Press Manufacturing Co. ca. 1900-1919

Use (Historic)

• Machine Tools, Machinery
• Rubber & Chemicals

Largest Documented Workforce

Unknown.

Historic Narrative

The Whitlock Manufacturing Company was incorporated by Sturges S. Whitlock on March 26, 1888. The company specialized in the manufacture of printing presses and paper cutters and production was established in a brick mill at the corner of Center and West Canal Street after it was vacated by the firm of E.C. Maltby and Sons. By 1900, the company had been reorganized as the Whitlock Printing Press Manufacturing Company, with Carl F. Ahlstrom, president, and Julius G. Day, secretary and treasurer. The Whitlock Printing Press Manufacturing Company experienced considerable success through the 1910s, this largely driven by its 'Premier' Press, a two-revolution printing press notable for its speed and durability. In order to accommodate increased production the company erected several additions to its Center Street plant ca. 1910 and ca. 1920. During this period the firm maintained sales offices in New York, Chicago, Boston, and Pittsburg, as well as worked with agents throughout the United States, Canada, and Australia. In 1919, the company was reincorporated as the Premier and Potter Printing Press Company, Inc., with Carl F. Ahlstrom, president; E.E. Jameson, vice-president; J.H. Clowes, secretary; and Otto J. Ahlstrom, treasurer. The Premier and Potter Printing Press Company supplemented their manufacturing activity by entering the printing business during the 1920s. In this period additional operations included the printing of United States currency and stamped postal cards. A history of Shelton notes that the former required the presence of federal agents who delivered the paper and oversaw the entire process. The Premier and Potter Printing Press Company closed its doors by 1936, following which the plant was assumed by the Sponge Rubber Products Company, which also operated a mill in Derby. The Sponge Rubber Products Company was originally founded by four men working for the U.S. Rubber Company in Naugatuck, Connecticut, in 1923, yet moved its operations to Derby in 1926. The company’s line of sponge rubber products included items such as play balls, toys, novelties, sponges, bath mats, chair cushions, automotive parts, and rug underlayment, and its success necessitated further expansion throughout Shelton during the late 1920s and 1940s. The firm continued to operate in town until the 1970s, by which time the company had been acquired by the B.F. Goodrich Company.

Number of Existing Buildings

Three (3) blocks.

Dates of Construction

ca. 1875, ca. 1910, ca. 1920

Architect

n/a

Builder

n/a

Building Type

• Mill

Architectural Description

The former Whitlock Printing Press Manufacturing Company plant is comprised of an adjoining complex of three blocks with a total frontage of roughly 100 feet on the south side of Center Street and 150 feet on the west side of Canal Street West. The factory’s original block was erected ca. 1875 and is a three-story red brick block with front-gabled roof. This measures 48’ x 150’ and has star-shaped masonry anchors, segmental-arched window openings with brownstone sills, and a denticulated brick cornice, the latter terminating in cornice returns on the north and south (front and rear) elevations. The building’s primary entry is located on the north elevation and consists of a centered door opening with paired, paneled wood doors, frame transom, and a brick segmental arch above. The block retains its original, paired, four-over-four double-hung sash, the majority of these sheltered by modern storm windows. A pedestrian walkway on the second and third stories of its south elevation connects the block to the former Radcliffe Brothers plant, which like the Whitlock Printing Press Manufacturing Company factory was eventually assumed by the Sponge Rubber Products Company. A three-story red brick ell adjoins the west side of the aforementioned block. Built ca. 1910, this has an irregular footprint yet measures roughly 75’ x 55’ overall. The block has wide, segmental-arched window openings with 24-over-24 double-hung wood sash, a plain roofline with tile coping, and a flat roof. A two-story shipping and receiving area is located on its north elevation between the ca. 1875 block and a third block, this built ca. 1920. The ca. 1920 block is of red brick construction and stands three stories tall. It has an irregular footprint yet measures roughly 40’ x 100’ overall. The block has rectangular window openings with concrete sills and lintels, six-over-six double-hung wood sash, and a plain roofline. A six-story rectangular stair tower is located on its west elevation.

Exterior Material(s)

• Brick

Structural System(s)

• Load Bearing Masonry

Roof Form

• Flat
• Gable

Roof Material

• Asphalt

Power Source

• Electricity
• Steam

Condition

Fair

Condition Notes

All portions of the complex are in generally fair condition.

Specific Location

Approximately 0.5-acre northern portion of a 1.1-acre parcel (415 Howe Avenue) located at the southwest corner of Center Street and Canal Street West.

Adjacent To

• Business District
• Main Roads

Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Parcel ID / Assessor Record Link

• 129.-33 (for record, use link and type in address or parcel number) / Link →

Acreage

1.1

Use (Present)

• Mixed-Use
• Other: '415 Shelton Ave - The Conti Building' is occupied by artists, an industrial co-working space, professional offices, yoga studio, coffee shop; storage space is also available

Form Completed By

Lucas A. Karmazinas

Date

10/27/2014

Bibliography

1. List of Connecticut Manufacturers, 1922, 1924, 1930, 1932.
2. Directory of Connecticut State Manufacturers, 1936, 1939.
3. Atlas of New Haven County, Beers, Ellis & Soule Co., 1868.
4. Derby and Shelton Bird’s Eye View, 1898.
5. Shelton Bird’s Eye View, 1919.
6. Industrial Directory of Connecticut, 1947.
7. Register of War Production Facilities in Connecticut, 1951.
8. Sanborn Map Company, 1924, 1948.
9. Aerial Survey of Connecticut, 1934, 1965.
10. Tercentenary Pictorial and History of the Lower Naugatuck Valley, Malloy, Leo T., 1935.
11. Images of America, Shelton, 2002.
12. Roth, Matthew, et al, Connecticut: An Inventory of Historic Engineering and Industrial Sites (Washington DC: SIA, 1981).