Postby dognose » Thu Jun 18, 2015 7:15 am
New Administration Building of R. Wallace & Sons Mfg. Co, Wallingford, Conn, a Model Structure
Wallingford. Conn., Oct. 7.—The new administration building of the R. Wallace & Sons Mfg. Co., at Wallingford. Conn., is receiving much favorable comment from visitors. It is located on a plot of land fronting: about 800 feet on the street and running back from that to the nearest building about 150 feet. For several years this plot of land has been beautified by landscape work through the efforts of the late Henry R. Wallace.
A double entrance driveway leads from the street to the front entrance. As one enters the lobby of the buildine, at the left is a telephone switchboard. The vestibule and lobby is finished in imitation caen stone, The lobby proper is 14 feet by 12 feet long, but the impression gained here is one of considerable space due to the ingenuity of the architect.
On either side of the lobby is the reception room, 14 by 16 feet. Immediately adjoining the reception room on the left of the lobby is the comptroller's office and adjoining this, the treasurer's office. The president's office occupies the northeast corner of the building. Opening from the president's office to the south is a small hallway which leads into the directors' room.
Immediately adjoining the reception room on the right is the purchasing agent's office and in the northwest corner, the office manager's office. All of these private offices are on the north side of the building where the daylight is ideal and they are equipped with American walnut furniture.
Opening from the office manager's office is a small office occupied by the head of the dictaphone and stenographic department. Directly across from the purchasing agent's office is his department, with necessary clerks and records.
The arrangement of the second floor is practically identical with that of the first, except that the sales manager is located immediately over the lobby. On the east of his office is that occupied by the advertising manager and immediately adjoining him is the advertising department in which are his clerks, records, etc. On the west side of the sales manager is an office occupied by his assistant and immediately adjoining this is a room occupied by the clerical force for the sales department.
All the partitions between offices are of oak panelled 45 inches from the floor and from there to the cornice, plate glass, so that light comes into the room from all directions. The only room in the building which has solid walls is the directors' room. The walls and ceiling are painted, the side walls being done in several colors, mottled and glazed. The ceiling is in an ivory tint with simple stenciled ornamental borders, and the lighting fixtures for the building are all especially designed.
The building is equipped with a vacuum cleaning system, hot water heating system, and an air washing and ventilating system, giving positive ventilation. There are drinking fountains, two on each floor placed in a convenient manner.
The floors are covered with a quarter inch brown "battleship" linoleum. In the basement of the building there is a club room, reading room and lunch room for the men; rest room, reading and lunch room for the girls, kitchen, storage room for stationery, receiving room for merchandise of any kind belonging to the Administration building, instrument room for switchboards, transformers, etc.
The floors beneath the linoleum are concrete and in them are laid all the pipes and wires for telephones, dictaphones, etc. The building is fire proof construction, but in addition is equipped with complete sprinkler system. In every private office the window is recessed in such a manner as to provide two wardrobe rooms so that coat and hat trees will not disfigure in these rooms.
The outside of the building is fully as interesting as the inside. The foundation, cornice, arches over the windows of the first floor, coping, etc., are all of artificial stone which is made of white Portland cement and marble chips. All the bricks used on the front and ends of the building are tapestry bricks in five colors laid in drab mortar with raked joints.
The new plant of the concern at Littleton, N. H., which will be occupied about Nov. 1 is a modern fire proof concrete building which is 136 by 36 feet and two stories high.
Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 13th October 1920
Trev.