Historic Mills of Connecticut

Companies Associated w/Complex

• Bridgeport Elastic Fabric Co. 1902-1915
• Bridgeport Elastic Fabric Co., div. Everlastik, Inc. 1915-1923
• Bridgeport Switch Co. 1925-ca. 1955
• Bridgeport Webbing Co. 1909-ca. 1920
• Connecticut Paper Box Co. 1925-ca. 1930

Use (Historic)

• Apparel & Accessories
• Electrical Equipment
• Paper & Wood Products
• Textiles

Largest Documented Workforce

100 (1917).

Historic Narrative

The Bridgeport Elastic Fabric Company was organized in Bridgeport, Connecticut in 1900. The original incorporators consisted of Samuel Lownds, Arthur Liggins, and Arthur J. Moore. The firm specialized in the manufacture of elastic fabrics, which, despite its title, were initially produced in a mill located in the Brooklawn section of Fairfield, Connecticut. Operations were moved to Bridgeport in 1902, whereupon a plant on Center Street was erected for the business. In 1903, Lownds, Liggins, and Moore were joined by an investor, William Body Spencer, who injected a substantial sum of much needed capital into the business. Spencer was subsequently elected president of the firm and its primary product line, ‘Spencer’s Special,’ was named in his honor. The Bridgeport Elastic Fabric Company experienced significant growth under Spencer’s leadership, both through the expansion of the company itself and through the establishment of an ancillary firm, the Bridgeport Webbing Company, which was organized by Spencer and several associates in 1909. The Bridgeport Webbing Company specialized in the manufacture of elastic webbing products, and shared the Center Street factory with the Bridgeport Elastic Fabric Company. The webbing business was not, however, associated with a 1915 acquisition that included the Bridgeport Elastic Fabric Company’s merger with six other elastic textile producers to form Massachusetts-based Everlastik, Incorporated. Two years after the Everlastik deal, the Bridgeport Elastic Fabric Company plant was staffed with 100 employees operating 54 looms. The capacity of the Bridgeport factory totaled 50,000 yards of fabric per week, this shipped to global network of clients. Following the merger, the company continued to be led by Spencer, who served as president and treasurer; along with Lownds as vice president and plant manager; John T. Cockerell, assistant secretary; and N.H. Downs, assistant plant manager. The Bridgeport Webbing Company remained in operation until around 1920, whereupon it appears the business was closed down. The Bridgeport Elastic Fabric Company, along with its parent firm Everlastik, Incorporated, ceased operations in 1923. In 1925, the Center Street plant was occupied by the Connecticut Paper Box Company and the Bridgeport Switch Company. The origins of the Connecticut Paper Box Company date back to the mid-19th century, while the Bridgeport Switch Company was organized the very same year that the firm began manufacturing electrical fittings in the former Bridgeport Elastic Fabric Company plant. The Connecticut Paper Box Company remained on Center Street for less than five years, while the Bridgeport Switch Company occupied the factory through the mid-1950s.

Number of Existing Buildings

Five (5) adjoining primary blocks.

Dates of Construction

1902, ca. 1910, ca. 1915, ca. 1960.

Architect

n/a

Builder

n/a

Building Type

• Mill
• Warehouse / Production Shed

Architectural Description

The former Bridgeport Elastic Fabric Company factory consists of five adjoining primary blocks located on the south side of Center Street, roughly 225’ west of Center Street’s intersection with Harral Avenue. The main manufacturing and office block was built as a one-story structure ca. 1910 and was then raised to its present height of two stories ca. 1915. The building is situated at the northeast corner of the plant along Center Street. It is a two-story, 58’ x 90’ red brick block with a raised basement level with rectangular window openings, a brownstone watertable (this serving as the lintels for the basement windows), rectangular first-story window openings with brownstone sills and iron lintels, segmental-arched second-story window openings with concrete sills and corbelled brick headers, a red brick parapet with tile coping, and a flat roof with a single sawtooth monitor. The primary entrance to the block is centered on the seven-bay façade and is set in a cast concrete surround comprised of Doric pilasters topped by a wide frieze and molded entablature. The entry door appears to be a later modification as it consists of a metal and glass door with a large metal-framed transom and sidelights. A one-story, 58’ x 96’ red brick block adjoins the south elevation of the main manufacturing and office building. This was built in 1902 to house weaving operations. The building is of brick pier construction and has large segmental-arched window openings with brownstone sills, paired nine-over-nine double-hung wood sash, corbelled brick window headers, a corbelled red brick cornice, and a double-pitch front-facing gable roof. A stepped brick firewall comprises the block’s south (rear) elevation. A one-story, 78’ x 72’ cross-gable block adjoins the building’s west elevation. This was likewise erected to house weaving operations in 1902. The details of the block are nearly identical to the other 1902 structure, however, it has a single-pitch side-gabled roof. A one-story, roughly 80’ x 80’ red brick and concrete block garage and storage building was erected adjoining the western weave building ca. 1960. This has a mix of metal roll-up style doors and large multipane windows on its north (façade) elevation, and a flat roof. A similar one-story, 32’ x 65’ block was also built adjoining the ca. 1910 block around 1960.

Exterior Material(s)

• Brick
• Concrete Block

Structural System(s)

• Load Bearing Masonry

Roof Form

• Flat
• Gable
• Sawtooth

Roof Material

• Asphalt

Power Source

• Electricity
• Steam

Condition

Fair

Condition Notes

The complex is in fair condition. Many of the original windows have been replaced or the openings infilled, however, overall, the plant appears well maintained and structurally sound.

Specific Location

One 0.65-acre parcel (209 Center Street) located on the south side of Center Street, roughly 225’ west of Center Street’s intersection with Harral Avenue.

Adjacent To

n/a

Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Parcel ID / Assessor Record Link

• 41/ 1040/ 14/A / Link →

Acreage

0.65

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, 1922.
13. A History of the Old Town of Stratford and the City of Bridgeport; Orcutt, Samuel, 1886.
14. History of Bridgeport and Vicinity; S.J. Clarke Publishing, 1917.