Historic Mills of Connecticut

Companies Associated w/Complex

• Apex Tool Co. Inc. 1941-ca. 1990

Use (Historic)

• Fabricated Metal Products
• Transportation

Largest Documented Workforce

165 (1954).

Historic Narrative

The Apex Tool Company was organized in Bridgeport, Connecticut in 1923. The firm was established by Sigurd B. Swanson and his father Sven Swanson, the latter an immigrant from Sweden and a former foreman at Bridgeport’s Bullard Machine Tool Company. The Apex Tool Company began operations as a tool and die manufacturer and initially occupied a small shop in a wood-frame residential building at the corner of State Street and Park Avenue. The firm gained its footing after shifting towards producing automobile parts for such companies as Locomobile, Durant Flint, and Princeton. By 1928, the demand for these parts necessitated a move to a larger plant at 52 Remer Street in Bridgeport, where the company remained for 13 years. During the late 1930s, the Apex Tool Company began manufacturing parts for the aircraft industry. This association led to exponential growth following the outbreak of the Second World War, this largely driven by contracts with the Pratt and Whitney Company. The need for even greater space resulted in the decision to erect a new dedicated plant on Cherry Street, which the Apex Tool Company occupied in 1941. The firm’s relationship with the aircraft industry – and the Pratt and Whitney Company in particular – continued in peacetime and employment at the Apex Tool Company reached upwards of 165 hands during the mid-1950s. During the late 1950s, contracts with the Pratt and Whitney Company accounted for 80% of the Apex Tool Company’s work and included parts manufactured for the J-57 turbojet, R-4360 Wasp Major, and T-34 Turbo Prop engines. The Apex Tool Company remained in operation until the late 20th century.

Number of Existing Buildings

Roughly three (3) adjoining primary blocks.

Dates of Construction

1941, ca. 1955, ca. 1960.

Architect

n/a

Builder

n/a

Building Type

• Mill
• Warehouse / Production Shed

Architectural Description

The former Apex Tool Company plant consists of three adjoining primary blocks located on the south side of Cherry Street, at the northwest corner of the intersection of Pine Street and Bostwick Avenue. The original portion of the factory was erected in 1941 and consists of two red brick blocks. The main machine shop is a one-story, 60’ x 150’ block located on the west side of the plant. This is of a utilitarian design and has a concrete foundation, large rectangular window openings with concrete sills, multipane metal sash with pivot-style windows, tile coping, and a flat roof. The second block erected in 1941 was a similar two-story shipping and storage block that was expanded ca. 1950 to comprise the southern third of a two-story, 68’ x 110’ red brick block that adjoins the east elevation of the original machine shop. The final addition to the former Apex Tool Company plant was completed ca. 1960 and is a one-story, 45’ x 90’ concrete block building that adjoins the east elevation of the combined two-story blocks. This has a concrete foundation, large rectangular window openings with concrete sills, multipane metal sash with pivot-style windows, and a flat roof. A loading dock is located at the northeast corner of the building and is sheltered by a metal-frame awning.

Exterior Material(s)

• Brick
• Concrete Block

Structural System(s)

• Load Bearing Masonry

Roof Form

• Flat

Roof Material

• Asphalt

Power Source

• Electricity

Condition

Fair

Condition Notes

The plant is in fair condition. The exterior walls and windows are in need of repairs, however, overall, the plant appears structurally sound.

Specific Location

One 0.72-acre parcel (325 Cherry Street) located on the south side of Cherry Street, at the northwest corner of the intersection of Pine Street and Bostwick Avenue.

Adjacent To

n/a

Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Parcel ID / Assessor Record Link

• 19/306/14/A / Link →

Acreage

0.72

Use (Present)

• Commercial
• Vacant

Form Completed By

Lucas A. Karmazinas

Date

01/22/2016

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. Hartford Courant, 1929, 1940.
13. Bridgeport Post, 1958, 1963.
14. A History of the Old Town of Stratford and the City of Bridgeport; Orcutt, Samuel, 1886.
15. History of Bridgeport and Vicinity; S.J. Clarke Publishing, 1917.