This was one of the Largest Brass Manufacturing Concerns in Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh Brass Manufacturing Company Building, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania

Date added: November 15, 2024

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The Pittsburgh Brass Manufacturing Company Building was an independent specialty metal manufacturer in Pittsburgh. Categorized as a "brass founder and finisher," the company manufactured bronze, brass, and aluminum products and was one of the largest brass manufacturing concerns in the Pittsburgh area. At this property, the company manufactured products for industrial clients, including those from the iron and steel industry. The company also manufactured ornamental metal work and developed new products, such as the frost-proof water closet, a product with which they cornered the market, and the patented bronze roto-flex ball pipe joint, a non-leaking flexible joint with applications in numerous industries. The company vacated the building and moved to Irwin, PA in 1968.

The company was founded in 1899 by Thomas Ward (1846-1915) with a capital of $30,000. It was originally located at 105-107 Wood Street in downtown Pittsburgh with a separate foundry space on 46^th Street. Harry W. Ward (1873-1928), Thomas's son, was also involved with the company from the outset and initially held the position of treasurer and secretary. The business, which had always focused on the manufacture of brass goods, was a "success from the start, making it necessary to secure larger quarters." On December 26^th, 1902, Annie Ward, wife of Thomas, purchased the lots at 3153 and 3155 Penn Avenue, both of which were owned by F.R. Schlenstead. Shortly thereafter, Ward commissioned a fireproof brass foundry and finishing shop from Pittsburgh architect John L. Beatty for his company. In contrast to their earlier arrangement, the new building was to have all of its operations under one roof with a brass foundry, machine shop, erecting shop, and a shipping room. The new building was to double the capacity of the earlier operation.

In 1903, city directories still show the company located at 105-107 Wood Street, and an article in March of that year in a trade journal stated that the new building was to be completed in July? A 1904 city directory shows the company as being on Penn Avenue and the building first appears on a Sanborn Fire Insurance Map in 1905.

Although it is not precisely known why the exact location was chosen, the neighborhood was the center of metal manufacturing in Pittsburgh. Period maps demonstrate that within a two block radius alone, other similar companies included the Crucible Steel Company of America, Park Works Copper Mill, Pittsburgh White Metal Company, Pittsburgh Gage and Supply Company, Pittsburgh Rivet Company, Vilsack Martin Ornamental Iron and Wire Works, W.N. Kratzer Ornamental Iron Works, Springfield Foundry Company, Pittsburgh Malleable Iron Company, Iron City Tool Works, and the Keystone Axle Works. The neighborhood also had the added convenience of having an immediately adjacent B and O Railroad spur and the Allegheny River to facilitate the transport of raw materials in and finished products out.

A 1911 journal article also referred to the company's "fine plant" on Penn Avenue, which produced "aluminum specialties, for small work, such as patent sweepers and finer machinery. Its brass production is largely for interior ornamental work, and its capacity in brass is 30,000 pounds a month. The business of this company has been growing steadily and its territory is broader each year.

During World War I, the company completely shifted into production of material for the war effort but returned to the original product line once the war ended. This is attested to by a 1927 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map, which shows the consistent industrial use, in addition to the southwest corner of the 1^st floor, which was rented out as a Western Union telegraph office. Although it is not known if the building was constructed with the intent of renting out tenant space, the original supplemental entrance at the west end of the south elevation indicates that this might always have been a possibility.

When Thomas Ward died in 1915, his son, Harry Ward became the president of the company and Edwin Gray Donaghay became the secretary. W.S. Montgomery was the sales manager and R.J. Ulrih was the foundry superintendent. The continuity of family management and the ongoing prosperity of the enterprise meant that little changed in terms of type or scale of production over the years. Within approximately one year of its opening at Penn Avenue until the mid-20^th Century, the company maintained a fairly consistent number of employees, ranging from eighteen to thirty-five.

A 1951 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map shows no change from the 1927 map other than the absence of the telegraph office. In 1955, the company purchased the lots located at 3147 to 3151 Penn Avenue and constructed a 1-story addition, which was used for storage and shipping. The lots had previously contained three 3-story dwellings fronting Penn Avenue and four 2-story dwellings fronting Mulberry Way.

From the relocation of the company to Penn Avenue through this period, the company focused on the development and production of industrial and ornamental bronze, aluminum and brass products. The industrial products ranged from castings and pipes to tubing, valves and fittings. The ornamental products ranged from grills and door plates to church railings and signage. Their most successful product line, however, was the frost-proof water closet, which transformed the daily lives of residents, and the municipal composition of downtown Pittsburgh.

The company continued to manufacture brass products at Penn Avenue until 1968, when they relocated to Irwin, PA. They currently remain in operation at that location.

Products of the Pittsburgh Brass Manufacturing Company

The most successful product line of the Pittsburgh Brass Manufacturing Company was the frost-proof water closet. In period journals and magazines, advertisements for the water closets far outweighed those for any other product, and notices for the company almost always mentioned them specifically. The company began to specialize in frost-proof water closets almost from the outset, with the earliest notation about them dating to 1902, while the company was still located on Wood Street. There were two primary versions, the Payne and the Pittsburgh, each of which had a number of sub-models.

The Payne was invented by and named for Thomas F. Payne, a sanitary engineer, in 1900. Although the specific timing is not clear, it appears that Payne invented the toilet just prior to his association with the Pittsburgh Brass Manufacturing Company and brought the invention with him at the beginning of his employment. The Payne was designed to function as an outdoor water closet for those locations that would have below-freezing temperatures during the winter, of which Pittsburgh and the surrounding areas were no exception. The water closet primarily achieved this by positioning both the trap and valve below the frost line, which meant that it was impervious to freezing and therefore breakage. The flushing mechanism was automatically operated by the raising and lowering of the seat, so that when the seat was in use, water passed through the valve and filled the closet and when the seat was unoccupied, the stored water would flush out the waste. Its advantages over other similar products included the omission of a ground box, which meant that it could be repaired or adjusted from above the floors; the use of a valve seat, which could be removed without being dug up; the absence of weights, chains, levers and pins, which not only made it more economical to produce, but also facilitated installation and management; and piping that came in six lengths to accommodate a variety of settings. According to a period advertisement, it was the "only complete frost proof combination on the market" with no comparable product featuring "the advantageous features possessed by the Payne [causing it to be] endorsed by Boards of Health everywhere."

The omission of a ground box, also known as a collection pit or vault, lead the model to be known as the "Pitless Closet." This was a significant advance in public hygiene as The Pittsburgh Survey described collection pits as "noxious and omnipresent," "indescribably foul," "polluting the atmosphere" and as "contributing a large quota to the mortality and morbidity of the community by serving as breeding places of disease germs to be distributed by flies." Moreover, it was a legal necessity. In 1901, the Pittsburgh Bureau of Health outlawed the draining of the water closet into a vault and also the connection of a vault to a sewer. Without this specific design implementation, the Payne Frost Proof Water Closet would have essentially been illegal.

In 1908, the company debuted the "Pittsburgh" frost proof closet. The new features of the model were that the "valve gives a perfect drain to all pipes, has a large opening for supply, cannot hammer or rebound and is not operated by chains; no cumbersome weights are used to give the seat automatic action and the tank outfit is constructed in such a manner as to eliminate the use of any movable part in filling and emptying the tanks automatically." The new model also featured an enamel rim hopper, a "never split" hardwood seat and parts made of red brass, which was a specific alloy of copper, zinc and tin that made it particularly durable. The primary advantage of this model was that the primary valve was moved to a position above the closet floor. This significantly increased both its hygienic nature and its maintenance.

Period advertisements claimed that the "modern, practical" Pittsburgh model would improve the value and marketability of your property, reduce your winter repair bills and that your "sanitation [would be] purified and made healthful if you [would] abandon the extinct cesspool or backyard closet." Because the water closet came completely assembled and connected directly to an existing sewer line, it required no specific knowledge of installation or plumbing. Additionally, it allowed every single closet to be tested by the manufacturers prior to shipping. This strong quality control was particularly important as the water closets had to accommodate a range of environmental conditions, including daily temperature swings of fifty degrees and variations in water pressure in different areas from twenty pounds to 150 pounds.

In addition to serving the rural homeowner, the closets were also designed to "meet the extreme conditions found in Pittsburgh on account of the large foreign element living there in the class of properties where outside closets are installed." The often-touted durability of the water closets was seen as an additional advantage in this context as it was necessary for the Board of Health "to post placards in these outhouses in three different languages, setting forth the rules and regulations governing the use of these closets, and penalties for breaking the law in this respect. [Consequently] some idea may be formed of the use to which outside closets in Pittsburgh are subjected."

These numerous attributes led the Pittsburgh Board of Health to endorse these water closets and install them throughout their jurisdiction wherever necessary. Period advertisements stated that, "thousands of our closets have been installed in localities where the service is unusually severe, and they have stood the test like a battleship".

The manufacture of the frost-proof, pitless water closet arose from a serious need in the market and is significant not only as an original invention by the company but also because it is illustrative of larger reformist trends in Pittsburgh at that time. The effort was two-pronged, with one, more humanitarian group advocating for the welfare of immigrant and poor populations, those people most reliant on the outdoor water closet. The improvement of hygiene was a straightforward way in which general living conditions and overall health could be immediately addressed for a group of people whose population was only increasing along with Pittsburgh industries. The other prong was more political and involved passing new laws and engaging the Board of Health to adopt more stringent and progressive policies.

In Pittsburgh in the late 19^th Century, "the most pressing housing problem was the inadequate water and sewerage facilities supplied to workers. By 1900, only 110 miles of the 450 miles of city streets were adequately sewered and even in 1917, one could still witness raw sewage running through open gutters." Prior to the invention of the durable, sanitary and frost proof water closet, the earlier versions were "often situated in muddy, unpaved courtyards, the wooden closet sheds were of the flimsiest character, provided little privacy were cramped (92.5' by 3.5' was normal), had no lights for use at night and were often slept in by derelicts."

Beginning in 1903, a campaign was instituted to improve the level of public hygiene in the city, in part inspired by a similar effort in Chicago, which was seen as a model of civic improvement. Mayor George W. Guthrie instituted such reforms as the Pittsburgh Civic Commission, one of whose subgroups was the committee on sanitation and public hygiene. Laws were promptly passed to regulate the number, location and quality of water closets, including such specific regulations as no privy, vault or cesspool could be constructed without the explicit approval of the city and, in those instances where permission was granted, all outdoor facilities had to connect directly to the public sewer. 1,131 of these vaults were removed in 1910, with another 4,118 in 1911.

As both the Payne and Pittsburgh models fully complied with all of the new laws and regulations imposed by the city, the Pittsburgh Brass Manufacturing Company quickly cornered the market, and it was one of only two Pittsburgh manufacturers in 1915 and the only one in 1918. A 1909 article noted that the plant was "operating on full time and to its capacity [with] a rush of business [caused by] a very heavy demand for the new Pittsburgh frost proof closet, due to a number of new and special features which are contained in this fixture. A large number of them are being installed at present in and around Pittsburgh in outhouses and exposed places where it is imperative to have a non-freezing water closet." It was product lines such as this that solidified the notion that Pittsburgh has "one of the largest markets for brass products in the country."

The company also found a foothold in larger markets, including Staten Island, New York, where the Building Bureau of Richmond Borough contracted the company to install the Payne frost proof water closet throughout its facilities. The manufacture of water closets by the Pittsburgh Brass Manufacturing Company continued through the 1920s.

Period advertisements and directories indicate that the company also manufactured a large range of brass, bronze, and aluminum items, but always under the larger umbrella of "brass founders and finishers." These items were produced for a range of industrial applications, such as for furnaces, refineries and rubber plants. Some of the products included brass, bronze, aluminum and acid-proof rough or machined castings; Babbitt metal; gas cocks; brass and bronze grilles; brass pipe; door plates; church railings; cleanout tongs; brass tubing and fittings; gas, steam and thermostat valves; hydraulic and tuyere cocks; blast furnace valves and fittings; special design valves; and malleable iron fittings.

A 1940 sales catalog for the company promoted "bronze tuyere cocks, tuyere fitting, roto-flex ball pipe joints and specialties for blast furnace and steel mill operations [as well as] rubber, oil, gas and chemical plants." Other offered items included hose clamps, hydraulic crosses and tees, barge unions, square head pipe plugs and tuyere cock wrenches. The catalog also placed a strong emphasis on the company's ability to design and manufacture fittings to meet special requirements and specifications.

Typical of both the era and the area in which the company operated, one of their most successful areas of production was tuyeres, which are a specific type of adjustable valve through which air is forced into a furnace. The tuyere has several components, all of which were manufactured in brass and included cocks, unions, and ball joints that could be variously configured to accommodate varying needs. Although it is not specifically known to whom the tuyeres were sold, it is plausible to assume that the enormous local industry took advantage of a local supplier.

Another successful product for the company was the patented bronze roto-flex ball pipe joint. The part was a non-leaking, flexible joint that could be used in any location where pressure and temperature change were the primary factors, such as in pipelines conveying steam, water, oil, gas, or air. The 1940 trade catalog details a variety of situations in which the pipe joint could be employed: on water-cooled steam vulcanizers in rubber plants; on cinder car connections; on open hearth doors; and on steam or hydraulic mud guns in steel plants, railroad round houses, oil refineries and service and filling stations.

In addition to their less glamorous utilitarian products, the company also produced ornamental metalwork, including church railings and door plates. One of their most prominent commissions was two bronze tablets measuring 36" by 48" for the Fort Pitt National Bank in 1905. The tablets were positioned on the exterior of the building and read "Fort Pitt National Bank." At the time, an industry journal noted that, "the company is making a specialty of this work and at present employ steadily two modelers making patterns and casts."

Although the product lines of the Pittsburgh Brass Manufacturing Company shifted slightly away from water closets and towards industrial applications, the company not only continued a significant scale of production but also continued to innovate within its field. In 1941, the company patented a device to synchronize the choke, throttle, and ignition of an engine through the precise operation of the spark timer. In 1957, they were issued a patent for a coupling that would connect a conduit to a threadless pipe. Lastly, in 1963, 1965 and 1968, they patented a new type of flush ball valve to be positioned on the bottom of a toilet tank.

Brass Manufacturing in Pittsburgh

Metal manufacturing began in Pittsburgh in the early 19^th Century and was initially concentrated in the Strip District. Bounded by 11" Street on the west and 33" Street on the east, the neighborhood was best known for its iron, coal and glass factories, but was also home to equally important steel, coke, bronze, brass, copper, aluminum and lumber manufacturers.

The industrial prowess of the Strip District grew throughout the 19^th Century, with its primary period of industrialization dating from 1861 to 1915. It was home to such nationally important companies as the first mills of Andrew Carnegie, George Westinghouse and the Aluminum Company of America (ALCOA), as well as the Juniata Iron Works and the Black Diamond Steel Works. The success of metal manufacturing in Pittsburgh came not only from the close proximity of natural resources but also from the availability of transportation methods for both the import of raw materials and the export of finished products. The Strip District in particular had immediate access to the Allegheny River; the Pennsylvania Main Line Canal; and the Pennsylvania, Allegheny Valley and Baltimore and Ohio Railroads, as well as express lines, trolley freight lines and parcel post. Although perhaps best known for the roles played by iron and steel, the Strip District was also "one of the largest manufacturing centers in the United States" for brass.

The first brass-producing plant was established in Pittsburgh in 1806. From then on, "brass has been one of the important products of Pittsburgh, not only for its own use but for sale to all portions of the United States." In 1857, the city had four brass foundries and, by 1870, there were eleven brass foundries. By the end of the century, there were fifteen brass foundries with approximately 400 employees. The foundries ranged from the manufacturing of brass castings to "natural gas fittings" and "artistic brass goods", and had a value of nearly $1,000,000.

As with other metal industries, the brass manufacturers had the advantage of having access to all of the base elements, copper spelter, lead and zinc, within a maximum of a one-hour train ride from Pittsburgh. Thomas Ward, president and founder of the Pittsburgh Brass Manufacturing Company, spoke about this benefit saying,

Our chief advantage in handling brass products … is the fact that our shipping facilities are so well organized that brass products, which have usually to be cast or manufactured after the buyer is out of stock, can be secured quickly here. If any one attempted to secure brass fittings outside of Pittsburgh, his first obstruction would be in the delay in placing the order and then the shipping of the order into the city. He pays as much or more and meets with delay that is an important factor in his business.

During its peak period of production from the mid-19^th to early 20^th Century, Pittsburgh was a considerable producer of brass in the United States, which it not only exported throughout the country but which it also, because of its "enormous brass consuming power," used locally, making it "one of the largest users of brass in the country."

Brass foundries often operated as independent entities, as was the case with the Pittsburgh Brass Manufacturing Company, but they also existed in conjunction with larger steel manufacturing operations. In 1914, there were over twenty brass foundries, sixteen of which operated independently. It is perhaps because of this dependence on and close association with other industries that brass manufacturing has never gained the same level of prominence in Pittsburgh history as that of iron or steel. A 1911 journal article addressed this discrepancy saying, "while it is possibly one of the largest producers of brass in the country, and also one of the largest consumers of the same, the individual brass foundry of Pittsburgh is relatively hard to find."

Even within the independent firms, there were various levels of productivity. A review of period industrial directories indicates that the majority of these independent firms had an average of five employees. Cross referencing these businesses with fire insurance maps shows that, in most cases, the businesses, while independent, did not have their own foundries, but contracted out that work and therefore could operate with a limited number of in-house workers. The Pittsburgh Brass Manufacturing Company, by contrast, was an independent firm of fairly substantial size with its own foundry.

In addition to the Pittsburgh Brass Manufacturing Company, other prominent companies included the McKenna Brothers Brass Company (First Avenue and Ross Street), which manufactured metal cutting tools; Republic Manufacturing Company (Northside), which manufactured spacing tables; the Damascus Bronze Company (928 South Avenue), which manufactured bronze castings; Pittsburgh Gage and Supply Company (Liberty Avenue between 30^th and 31^st Street), which manufactured industrial gages; and Pittsburgh White Metal Company (3114 Penn Avenue), which manufactured anti-friction and Babbitt metals.

However, the two companies that are the most comparable in terms of scale, location and type and method of manufacture are the A.W. Cadman Manufacturing Company and the Keystone Bronze Company. The A.W. Cadman Company was located at 2814-2816 Smallman Street, just a few blocks northwest of the Pittsburgh Brass Manufacturing Company Building. Founded in 1860, it is cited as being either the oldest or second oldest brass manufacturer in the city. Originally located near the Monongahela River, like the Pittsburgh Brass Manufacturing Company, the company moved to the Strip District in the early 20^th Century. Also like the Pittsburgh Brass Manufacturing Company, the A.W. Cadman Manufacturing Company began as a family enterprise and continued as such for several decades with a comparable number of employees, consistently around thirty. The company closed in the 1990s. Comparably, the A.W. Cadman Manufacturing Company manufactured numerous bronze, brass and aluminum items, but specialized in the production of bearing metals, which they fabricated in their own foundry. A bearing metal is created by a process in which Babbitt metal, the combination of tin, copper, antimony and lead, is combined with an alloy, such as aluminum, to make it stronger and more durable. The A.W. Cadman Manufacturing Company was the first company to perfect such a technique and it was one of its most successful and enduring contributions to the industry.

The Keystone Bronze Company was located at 29^th Street and the Railroad, also just northwest of the Pittsburgh Brass Manufacturing Company. Founded in 1887, the company was located in the Strip District since its beginning. Slightly larger than the Pittsburgh Brass Manufacturing Company, the Keystone Bronze Company had approximately forty to fifty employees until it closed in the mid-20^th Century. Similar to the Pittsburgh Brass Manufacturing Company, the Keystone Bronze Company specialized both in the general manufacture of copper, bronze, brass and aluminum castings but also received several patents for modifications to blast furnaces to give them better temperature control. As this was the great era of Pittsburgh industry, achievements in blast furnaces would necessarily have been a highly prized accomplishment.

Building Description

The Pittsburgh Brass Manufacturing Company Building is located at the northwest corner of Penn Avenue and 32^nd Street in the Strip District neighborhood in Pittsburgh, PA. The building is bounded by Penn Avenue to the south, 32^nd Street to the east, Mulberry Way to the north and a paved parking lot to the west. The south and east elevations also have concrete sidewalks. To the north and south of the 1955 addition are paved parking lots.

Located on a site that slopes slightly to the south, the building consists of a 1- and 4-story section to the east, which fronts on Penn Avenue and 32^nd Street and dates to 1903 and a 1-story section to the west, which dates to 1955. The 1903 section was designed in the Classical Revival style and is clad in brick with sandstone, bluestone and painted wood detailing and a stone base. It also has a masonry structural system. The 1-story portion contained a foundry and the 4-story portion contained the company operations. The 1955 section is clad in painted CMU and was used for storage and shipping. The roofs of all sections are primarily flat.

The surrounding area primarily consists of low-scale industrial buildings that primarily date to the first half of the 20^th Century. There are also extensive parking areas and open lots, including a completely open block on Liberty Avenue between 32^nd and 33^rd Streets. The area continues to operate as a center for light manufacturing in Pittsburgh. The Allegheny River is located .3 miles to the north and there are railway lines immediately to the north, south and east.

The south, primary, elevation is three bays wide and 4-stories in height. It is clad in red brick. The base consists of one course of rusticated sandstone block. The 1^st-floor brick has been painted, and brick pilasters with brick capitals separate the 1^st-floor bays. There are also jack bluestone arches above the windows, a bluestone stringcourse below the windows and a bluestone lintel on the 1^st floor entrance. The easternmost bay contains paired 1-light double-hung wood windows with 1-light wood transom windows. The center bay contains two double-leaf paneled wood doors, which have 1-light wood transoms and are located up four sandstone steps. Above the entrance is a shallow, bracketed painted wood lintel. The westernmost bay contains a 1-light double-hung wood window with a 1-light wood transom window and next to it, a single-leaf door opening that was infilled with plywood in 1980, above which is a 1-light wood transom. This door is located up four sandstone steps. Between the 1^st and 2^nd floors is a painted metal stringcourse. The 2^nd and 3^rd floors are architecturally unified by double-eight brick pilasters with brick capitals that separate the bays. The 2^nd-floor openings contain tripartite 1/1 double-hung wood windows with wood surrounds. Between the 2^nd and 3^rd floor windows are painted wood spandrel panels. The 3^rd-floor openings contain tripartite arched 1/1 double-hung wood windows with wood surrounds. The arched windows have arched brick heads with bluestone keystones, which spring from the double-height pilasters. Above the windows is a simple brick stringcourse that is topped by a painted metal stringcourse. Between the stringcourses is a faded painted black and white sign reading "Pittsburgh Brass Mfg. Co." The 4^th floor contains three 1/1 double-hung wood windows with bluestone heads in each bay. Above the windows is a painted wood cornice. There is also a simple brick parapet along the roofline, which has some graffiti.

The east elevation is 4 stories in height in the nine southernmost bays and 1-story in height in the seven northernmost bays. It is clad in red brick, which has been partially painted on the 1^st floor. The southernmost bay matches the south elevation in design. It has a rusticated sandstone base. The raised basement contains a 2-light wood window with arched brick heads. The 1^st floor contains a 1/1 double-hung wood window with an arched brick head and bluestone sill. Above the window are two brick stringcourses. Between the 1^st and 2^nd floors is a painted metal stringcourse. The 2^nd and 3 floors are architecturally unified by double-height brick pilasters with brick capitals that flank the bay. The 2^nd floor openings contain a tripartite 1/1 double-hung wood window with wood surrounds. Between the 2^nd and 3^rd floor windows is a painted wood spandrel panel. The 3^rd floor opening contains a tripartite arched 1/1 double-hung wood window with wood surround. The arched window has an arched brick head with a bluestone keystone, which springs from the double-height pilasters. Above the windows is a simple brick stringcourse that is topped by a painted metal stringcourse. The 4^th floor contains three 1/1 double-hung wood windows with a continuous bluestone head. Above the windows is a painted wood cornice. There is also a simple brick parapet along the roofline, which has some graffiti. The remainder of the raised basement contains the rusticated sandstone base. The openings contain 2-light wood windows with arched brick heads in the second through fourth bays from the south. The seventh and eighth bays from the south each contain a single-leaf wood door with an arched brick head; these are located below grade. The entrances are accessed by stone steps with a metal railing. In the remainder of the 1^st floor, the second through fourth and seventh and eighth bays from the south contain 1/1 double-hung wood windows with arched brick heads and bluestone sills. The fifth and sixth bays from the south have no openings. The ninth bay from the south contains an elevated double-leaf paneled wood door with an arched brick head below a steel I-beam. Above the I-beam is a loading beam. The tenth bay from the south contains a 2-light wood window with an arched brick head above a half-height opening that was infilled with a double-leaf flush metal door in 2000. The eleventh through fourteenth bays from the south contain 1-light double-hung wood windows with 1-light wood transom windows, arched brick heads and bluestone sills. The two northernmost bays were infilled with brick and a louvered metal vent in 2000 but the arched brick heads remain visible. Above the second through ninth bays from the south is a painted metal stringcourse. On the remainder of the and through 4^th floors, the second through ninth bays from the south contain 4/4 double-hung wood windows with arched brick heads and bluestone sills. Above the 4th-floor openings is a stepped brick parapet with a stone cap. The center of the elevation also has a prominent, mid-20th-century metal fire escape, which extends between all floors. The landings are located at the roofline above the seventh bay from the south, at the eighth and ninth bays from the south on the 4^th floor, at the fourth and fifth bays from the south on the 3^rd floor and at the eighth and ninth bays from the south on the 2^nd floor.

The north elevation is clad in white painted brick and the and through 4^th floors are substantially recessed from the remainder of the elevation. It is six bays wide on the 1^st floor and five bays wide on the upper floors. On the 1^st floor, all the bays have one 1/1 double-hung wood window with an arched brick head and painted bluestone still. Contemporary metal security screens have been installed in front of all the 1^st-floor windows. There is a simple metal cornice and painted metal gutter along the roofline. On the 2^nd through 4^th floors, each bay contains a 6/6 double-hung wood window with arched brick head and painted bluestone sill. The bays are irregularly spaced on the elevation.

The west elevation is also clad in white painted brick with a stepped brick parapet along the roofline. The elevation is divided roughly in half by the 1955 addition that is described below. The exposed northern portion of the west elevation is clad in painted CMU block and has a double-leaf metal door. There are no other openings. The exposed southern portion has a single-leaf metal door that is accessed by a concrete ramp with a painted pipe metal railing. There are also three 6/6 double-hung wood windows with arched brick heads and painted bluestone sills at the north end of the 3^rd and 4^th floors. The 1955 addition extends from the center of the elevation. Its south elevation has a garage-style metal door to the west and no other openings. The west elevation has exposed brick on the lower half and a single-leaf metal door at the south end. The upper half is painted CMU block. The north elevation is clad in painted brick and cinderblock. On the 1^st floor, the two westernmost bays have garage-style metal doors. The easternmost bay contains a single-leaf metal door. On the 2^nd floor, the three westernmost windows contain painted infill that dates to 2000. The easternmost opening contains a small garage-style metal door and there is a loading beam above the opening. The roof of the 4-story portion is flat with a low penthouse in the northeast corner and a truncated brick chimney in the northwest corner. The roof of the 1-story portion is flat with a centered mechanical unit.

The interior of the building has two partial stairways and one freight elevator. One stairway is located near the center of the floor plate of the 4-story portion of the building and provides access between the basement and 2^nd floor. The second stairway is located at the south end of the west elevation of the 4-story portion of the building and provides access between the an and 4^th floors. Both straight-run stairways have wood treads and risers. The freight elevator is located in the northeast corner of the 4-story portion of the building. It provides access between all floors. Because of a change in grade there are short flights of steps between the 1^st floor of the 4-story portion of the building and the 1-story portion of the building and to the exterior on the east elevation.

The interior of the building is largely open in plan with columns bisecting the floor plate from north to south. In the basement, the finishes include exposed concrete floors, painted brick walls, steel beams and girders and wood floor joists. On the 1^st floor, there is a small entry vestibule with double-leaf glazed and paneled wood doors with a 1-light wood transom in front of the eastern entrance on the south elevation. In the remainder of the southern half of the 1^st floor, the finishes include wood floors, plaster and brick walls, wood columns and girders and exposed wood floor joists. Both the wood and brick elements are a combination of painted and unfinished. In the northern half of the 1^st floor, the finishes include concrete floors, painted brick walls, round steel columns and exposed painted wood floor joists. On the 2^nd and through 4^th floors, the finishes are the same as those in the southern half of the 1^st floor. In the 1955 addition, the 1^st floor has a concrete floor, painted cinderblock walls, and exposed painted wood floor joists. A partially complete wall also bisects the space and dates to 2000. The 2^nd floor has a wood floor, painted cinderblock walls, painted steel columns, steel girders, and exposed wood floor joists.

Historic documentation indicates that the interior function of the building and the manufacturing process followed standard methods. The raw materials would be poured into coke furnaces, of which the company eventually had five. The number of furnaces to some degree indicates the output capacity of the company, so that number is an effective way to evaluate its scale. The melted metal was then poured into molds or casts and then manipulated, either through rolling or cutting machines into the desired product.

A 1903 trade journal also stated that the building was

Equipped with the latest approved appliances for successfully carrying on the manufacture of brass and brass goods. Electric power is distributed throughout the building for the operation of the machinery by motors, connected to the lime shafts of the light machines and on the heavy machinery direct; for the operation of a freight elevator, which connects the upper floors with the shipping room, and for supplying light. The power plant is situated in the basement, and consists of a 55 horsepower gas engine belt connected to a 37 ½ KW generator.

A 1905 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map shows that the building contained office and storage space on the 1^st floor, a machine shop on the 2^nd floor, finishing space on the 3^rd floor, and a brass foundry on the 4^th floor. The rear, 1-story portion was also used as a larger scale foundry with four coke furnaces in the southwest corner. A small space on the 3^rd and 4^th floors was also rented to the Comstock-Oberndorf Brass Works. A 1911 journal article also referred to the company's twelve molders and five furnaces.

A 1927 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map shows minimal changes from the 1905 map, with the exception of the addition of printing space on the 3^rd floor and two melting kettles in the foundry space. The southwest corner of the 1^st floor was also rented out as a Western Union telegraph office.