Virjune Manufacturing Co: Inside Waterbury's Vacant Factory

Image
J and I were already having a rough day. We'd just driven across town to check out an old industrial site he hadn't visited in a while, only to find it erased. Nothing left but a slab of concrete and chain-link fence. So we took a detour. Sometimes you salvage a disappointing afternoon with a backup plan, even if you're just ticking a box. The former Virjune plant hides in plain sight off Thomaston Avenue. If you drive past in summer, you'll miss it completely. Trees and shrubs swallow the building whole, nature reclaiming what industry left behind. Come winter, though, when the branches go bare and the world turns gray, the red brick skeleton reveals itself. Even then, you have to know where to look. I pulled up old Sanborn maps to trace the building's history. The earliest tenant was an auto body shop in 1922. By February 1950, something bigger had moved in. The map labels it simply "Stamping Wks." No company name. No flourish. Just function. That namele...
Post a Comment

Abandoned Home Goods Manufacturer (Bilco Co.)

🏗️ Development Update — The Former Bilco Company Site

This site was the former Bilco Company, which manufactured basement hatchways, garage doors, sidewalk doors, and roof hatches on Water Street in West Haven, Connecticut. The factory was demolished as of July 31, 2022. Surrounding residential houses were fenced and boarded in preparation for future demolition and the planned Haven Mall Outlet project.

By April 13, 2023, houses north of Richards Street and east of First Avenue had been demolished. However, The Haven Mall Outlet project has since been scuttled. The vacant lot now languishes, waiting for a new vision that has yet to arrive.



Milling about with gleeful abandon.

I finally checked out this complex from a depressing neighborhood where houses are boarded and vehicular traffic is always substantially busy. I was astonished at how easy it was to access the complex. I had previously seen kids hanging around by the water playing around on a previous visit whilst using my DJI Phantom 4 drone.



















Upon entering the property I feared the worst. Local kids may have already trashed the property based on the numerous windows busted out. Entering inside my fears were appeased. Inside was comfortably clean and unblemished from graffiti and shitty craft. It seemed the complex could be cleaned up and put to use with a little TLC and back into a hub of commerce. The offices on the other hand needed substantial renovation. A shame the previous owners left to move to another part of the state. The property provided a substantial view out to the water. Standing inside a side doorway. I could see many previous employees taking a smoke break and taking in the calming water lapping against the property.
















I had the entire place to myself. I milled about to my heart's content until I finally got all the shots I required. A prime location for a model photoshoot if I shot models. 💁
































































🏭 Did You Work at the Bilco Company?

Were you or a family member employed at the Bilco Company on Water Street in West Haven? Did you build basement hatchways, garage doors, or roof hatches in this factory? Do you have photos from inside when the plant was still humming, old product catalogs, or memories of this Connecticut manufacturer? With the factory demolished in 2022 and the outlet mall project abandoned, your firsthand accounts are the primary record of this vanished industrial site.

Drop a comment below or contact me directly. Full credit given to all contributors.

🏭 More Connecticut Industrial History
From basement hatchways and hairpins to brass buttons and paper mills — explore the factories that once powered Connecticut's manufacturing towns.
🏭 The Bilco Company manufactured basement hatchways and roof hatches on Water Street in West Haven. The factory was demolished in 2022, and the planned Haven Mall Outlet project has been abandoned.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Pennsylvania's Forgotten 'Chop Shop' Factory (Lost Archives)

Image
  It's hard to believe it's been so many years since I stumbled upon that enigmatic, medium-sized factory in Pennsylvania. The memory, dating back to 2016, is like a photograph slowly fading at the edges, leaving behind a mosaic of vivid yet disjointed images. The exact location, shrouded in the mists of time, eludes me, despite my best efforts to pin it down on my ever-expanding Google MyMaps. I remember it as the 'chop shop' factory, a moniker I whimsically assigned but now regret not investigating further. The scene, as I recall, was something straight out of a gritty noir film – a pile of black rubber car tires heaped to one side, the floor covered in a fine layer of dust and grime, and the walls adorned with a kaleidoscope of oddball graffiti. It was a place that whispered stories of clandestine activities and hasty departures. Gaining access to this mystery location was surprisingly easy, a stark contrast to the complex mazes of some larger sites. Its relatively s...
Read more

Former Anamet Manufacturing Complex

Image
  Anamet Inc I recall my ventures through Anamet vividly. A breach in the fence was our gateway into this forgotten realm, leading us straight to the old powerhouse. The front office building and the rolling mill eluded our exploration. I believe we did not venture into these two buildings based on not having anything useful inside but just empty spaces and open windows. Nothing inside was appealing I am guessing since we did not venture inside on this day and I did not return to this area for a good few years. A huge disappointment in my book as I looked over my pictures on this day.  The grounds were littered with the debris of abandonment – beds, household odds, and ends, remnants of haphazard demolitions, all evidence of a space left unguarded. The powerhouse, known as Building 27/27A/27B, was a relic of industrial might. Within its walls, boilers and assorted machinery sprawled across multiple floors, each piece telling a story, each corner a snapshot in time, adding dept...
Read more

Exploring the Abandoned Aerosol Techniques Factory in Milford, CT (Photos)

Image
When I arrived at the former Aerosol Techniques factory, I was filled with a mix of anticipation and curiosity. Meeting a group of new friends for a day of urban exploration in Connecticut, we had a lineup of intriguing abandoned sites on our agenda. Our itinerary included the hauntingly beautiful Seaside Sanatorium, a former hospital, along with a few other potential spots that we were less certain about. We chose the factory as our starting point, mainly because it offered easy access and was conveniently situated next to a Lowe's hardware store. Walking along a well-trodden path, our group made a seamless transition onto the property. The sense of camaraderie was palpable as we embarked on our adventure with eager enthusiasm. The factory grounds, long deserted, were a canvas for countless graffiti artists. Every inch of the building was adorned with vibrant and eclectic street art, each piece telling its own story. This rich color and creativity set the perfect stage for our imp...
Read more

Potter Hill Mill: Inside Westerly, RI's Abandoned Textile History (Photo Tour)

Image
  In my extensive ventures across various businesses, churches, factories, and plants, I've encountered a plethora of remnants from bygone industrial eras. Yet, none have left as profound an impression as the sight of the leftover machinery at the former Potter Hill Mill. Nestled amidst its surroundings, these aging relics stand as silent witnesses to a vibrant industrial past, their once-potent functionality now subdued by the relentless march of time. The manufacturing equipment, once the lifeblood of cotton goods production, remains steadfast, firmly bolted to the floor, slowly succumbing to the relentless embrace of rust and decay. It's a scene frozen in time—a rare glimpse into the mechanical marvels of the 1800s, preserved in their original state, untouched and unscathed by modern interventions. As I gaze upon the weather-worn structures and rusted machinery, I'm struck by the poignant juxtaposition of past and present. The former textile mill, once a bustling hub of...
Read more

Pop Smoke Mural No. 2

Image
This is the second mural installation of deceased Brooklyn drill rapper Pop Smoke. This was done by Haitian artist Kenny Altidor who has done quite a few murals around the area which also include the late great Chadwick Boseman.  #popsmoke #pop #kennyaltidor #woobaby #woos #woo #canarsie #brooklyn #canarsiebrooklyn  🎤 Did You Photograph This Pop Smoke Mural? Did you visit this mural when it was freshly painted? Do you have photos from different angles, or shots of the artist at work? Have you left a tribute at any of Pop Smoke's Brooklyn murals? Share your Woo memories below. Drop a comment below or contact me directly . Full credit given to all contributors. 🎤 More Brooklyn Hip-Hop Murals & Street Art 🎨 Pop Smoke Mural in Canarsie The redone tribute to Brooklyn's drill icon—mural No. 1. 👑 Pop Smoke Mural No. 3: Kings of Brooklyn Featuring Biggie Smalls & Sean Price alongsid...
Read more