Gilbert Clock Factory

The Gilbert Clock Factory, located at 13 Wallens Street in Winsted, Connecticut, is a historic factory complex that reflects the state's history as a center for low-cost clock manufacturing. Developed between 1871 and 1897, the surviving structures were designated as National Register of Historic Places in 1984 and now house apartments. The factory, once one of Winsted's largest employers, was part of a larger complex that extended south along Wallens Street but suffered significant destruction by fire in 1975.

The two remaining four-story brick buildings exhibit late 19th-century commercial Italianate architecture. One is situated on the Still River bank, while the other is elevated on the eastern slope. William L. Gilbert, who began his clock-making career in Bristol and moved to Winsted in 1840, established the case shop in 1870–71 during a period of rapid growth for the company. By its peak in the late 19th century, the factory complex included four large buildings employing over 500 workers, continuing operations until 1964.

The facility's history includes the use of radioactive radium in clock production, prompting a Nuclear Regulatory Commission investigation in 2016. Scoping visits and surveys conducted in 2018 identified elevated radiation levels in Building A but concluded there was no public health risk, leading to the closure of the case without further action.