Waterbury’s Forgotten Factories: The Story of Bristol Babcock

 

For nearly a century, the city was known as the “Brass Capital of the World,” with a thriving industrial and manufacturing sector. But when the American brass industry declined in the 1970s, the city was hit hard by a series of economic challenges. Factories closed, jobs disappeared, and in their wake, large areas of land were left contaminated and abandoned. These brownfield sites, once bustling hubs of production, became symbols of the city’s struggle to adapt to a changing economy.

By 2019, the city had made significant progress in cleaning up these sites, having remediated over 178 acres of land. Still, 140 acres of brownfields remained, with efforts underway to return them to productive use, offering hope for a new chapter of growth and development.

One notable site is the former Bristol Babcock Facility, which operated from 1889 to 1989. The 6.6-acre property, with four buildings dating from 1895 to 1954, straddles the border between Waterbury and Naugatuck. The Bristol Babcock Company was once a key player in metal-based manufacturing, producing steel belt lacing and pressure gauges for temperature, electricity, and more. However, like many factories in the area, operations ceased in the 1980s as manufacturing jobs were outsourced during a wave of globalization.

Since then, the site has sat vacant, falling into disrepair and becoming contaminated with hazardous materials like PCBs and asbestos, remnants of its industrial past. In 1992, an EPA assessment revealed the presence of these contaminants after limited soil testing and the removal of eight vandalized transformers. The site, like others in the region, awaits further cleanup efforts and the chance to be repurposed for future use.

Bristol Babcock Division Acco Industries Inc.

Ben Bristol (1824-1904) began his career as a machinist with A. Platt and Company, eventually becoming superintendent of Platt’s rolling mill. His youngest son, William H. Bristol, born in Waterbury in 1859, followed a similar path in engineering. After graduating from the Stevens Institute of Technology in 1884 with a mechanical engineering degree, William became an instructor and later a professor of mathematics at the institute. While working there, he invented a simple steel fastener that could quickly and easily join two pieces of leather belting.

With his father’s financial backing and the support of his brother, Franklin B. Bristol, William set out to manufacture his fastener. Franklin, a skilled machinist like his father, left his job at A. Platt and Co. to help run the new venture. In 1889, the brothers founded the Bristol Company in a barn owned by Franklin in Naugatuck. Demand for the fasteners grew rapidly, and in 1892, they built a brick factory across the Naugatuck River, strategically located near railroad lines to allow for future growth. In 1894, the company was officially incorporated with a capital of $10,000.

William’s success with the fasteners sparked his interest in other engineering innovations. He began working with Bourdon tubes to create accurate pressure and temperature recording instruments. His designs used coiled copper tubing filled with liquid or gas, depending on the application, to measure and record temperature changes. From these early innovations came a range of recording and monitoring devices, including voltage, wattage, and amperage meters.

The Bristol Company gained national attention, with its instruments featured at the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago, the 1900 Paris Exposition, and the 1915 Pan-Pacific Exposition. By 1904, the company employed 50 people, but rapid expansion between 1905 and 1918 saw its workforce grow to 400. The company continued to innovate, adding products like wrenches, rivets, screws, and airplane instruments during World War I. Around 1920, William also developed the Bristolphone, leading to the creation of the William H. Bristol Talking Picture Corp.

During World War II, the Bristol Company contributed to the war effort by producing torpedo explosion mechanisms, sonar equipment, and aerial instruments. These projects played a role in the development of the atomic bomb. In the mid-1980s, the company was sold, and operations moved to nearby Watertown, marking the end of an era for the original Bristol Company site.

The Bristol family's legacy of innovation and manufacturing left a lasting mark on the city, from humble beginnings in a barn to becoming a major player in American industry.

Before Bristol Babcock moved to its new headquarters, a Waterbury attorney, developer, and broker named Norman Drubner purchased the old property for $3 million. He planned to eventually convert the site into housing, and he even secured a zoning change that would allow multifamily development. However, the cost of cleaning up the contaminated site was far too high to make redevelopment feasible. As a result, Drubner fenced off the property and let it sit, but he continued paying property taxes to the city.

Like many large factory complexes in Waterbury, the Bristol Babcock facility at 40 Bristol Street slowly decayed. Vandals, weather, and time took their toll on the buildings. In 2015, a massive fire engulfed the site, burning for more than 24 hours and leaving much of the factory in ruins. The fire left behind a six-story brick shell and piles of debris. After the fire, Drubner offered the city $1 million to take the 310,000-square-foot factory off his hands.

Currently, the Waterbury Development Corporation is pushing for the site to be redeveloped for housing. However, there is also interest in using the site for industrial purposes, given its proximity to a rail line and the large tract of developable land. The future of the property remains uncertain, but its location and history make it a valuable piece of real estate for the city.

Sources:

1. Turbidity Removal for Small Public Water Systems. (1983). United States: The Office. Page. 11-9

2. Puffer, M. (2023, October 3). Prominent Waterbury developer could pay $1M for city to take over massive ruined factory site. Hartford Business Journal.

3. Krafcik, M. (2015, August 14). Firefighters continue to fight Waterbury factory fire. Fox 61.