Historic Mills of Connecticut

Companies Associated w/Complex

• A. Kingsbury & Son Co. 1883-1914
• Addison Kingsbury Box & Printing Factory ca. 1880-1883
• Kingsbury Box & Printing Co. 1914-1948
• Kingsbury-Davis Machine Co. 1915-1948

Use (Historic)

• Paper & Wood Products

Largest Documented Workforce

35 (1888).

Historic Narrative

Addison Kingsbury was born in Coventry in 1835. He spent a portion of his early life in New York, yet returned to Coventry to take a job with his uncle, Nelson Kingsbury, at the Washington Mill in 1856. In 1864, Addison Kingsbury struck out on his own and purchased a site along Mason Street on which he established a small box shop. A creative inventor, Kingsbury developed a number of machines of his own patent with which to complete his work and by 1880 had erected a more substantial water powered mill on the site of his original shop. Additional plants were also started at Rockville, Connecticut, and Northampton, Massachusetts, around the same time. In 1883 Kingsbury’s son, Arthur L., joined the firm and it was reorganized as the A. Kingsbury and Son Company. The Coventry plant was significantly enlarged during the 1880s and by 1888 employed around 35 workers. By 1891, the A. Kingsbury and Son Company’s various plants employed a total of 150 hands and manufactured upwards of ten million boxes per year. Much of this success was driven by patented devices designed by Kingsbury, these including a machine for cutting paper box templates and another for printing box labels. By the late 1890s, further efficiencies were gained by the plant’s conversion to steam power. Addison Kingsbury died in 1914, after which the business was continued by Arthur and his brother, Louis, as the Kingsbury Box and Printing Company. By 1915, the company shared the Coventry plant with another firm, the Kingsbury-Davis Machine Company, which the Addison Kingsbury had helped organize in Contoocook, New Hampshire, during the 1880s for the manufacture of much of his machinery. The two companies operated in tandem until 1948 when the plant was closed and repurposed as an antique shop.

Number of Existing Buildings

Roughly six (6) primary blocks.

Dates of Construction

ca. 1880, ca. 1888, ca. 1895, ca. 1924.

Architect

n/a

Builder

n/a

Building Type

• Mill
• Powerhouse

Architectural Description

The Addison Kingsbury Box and Printing Factory is comprised of six adjoining and freestanding blocks located on the west side of Mason Street, roughly 400’ south of Mason Street’s intersection with Main Street (CT Route 31). The oldest portion of the plant is likely its southernmost block, which consists of a two-story, 28’ x 56’ wood-fame block. This was erected ca. 1880 and has clapboard siding, six-over-six double-hung wood windows with frame surrounds, and an overhanging front-facing gable roof. A two-story, 26’ x 58’ wood-frame ell adjoins its north elevation. This was erected ca. 1888 and is of similar detailing to the original building. A third factory block, this standing two stories in height and measuring roughly 60’ x 30’, adjoins the north elevation of the ca. 1888 ell. Likely erected shortly and is of similar design and details. The mill was originally powered by a stream running under the northern end of the ca. 1880 block; however, it was converted to steam power ca. 1895. A one-story, 15’ x 27’ red brick block was built at the southern end of the original mill’s east elevation to house the boiler plant. This has segmental-arched window openings with double-hung wood sash, a shed roof, and rectangular red brick chimney. A further addition to the plant was completed ca. 1925 when a two-story, 8’ x 28’ wood-frame block was built adjoining the east elevation of the second ca. 1888 block. This is of a similar design to the rest of the plant and has a pitched roof.

Exterior Material(s)

• Brick
• Wood

Structural System(s)

• Load Bearing Masonry
• Wood Frame

Roof Form

• Gable
• Shed

Roof Material

• Asphalt
• Metal

Power Source

• Electricity
• Steam
• Water (Wheel)

Condition

Fair

Condition Notes

The complex is in fair condition. A number of the exterior walls are in need of paint or minor repairs, however, overall, the plant is well maintained and appears sound.

Specific Location

One legal parcel (28 Mason Street) totaling 0.74 acres located on the west side of Mason Street, roughly 400’ south of Mason Street’s intersection with Main Street (CT Route 31).

Located in South Coventry Historic District (1991).
http://npgallery.nps.gov/nrhp/GetAsset?assetID=ca1e7c01-10ee-4c4e-a877-68b331552dfb

Adjacent To

• Water (for Power)

Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Parcel ID / Assessor Record Link

• 00O/ 0062/ 0015 / Link →

Acreage

0.74

Use (Present)

• Commercial
• Other: Property is for sale for residential redev 9/2023.

Form Completed By

Lucas Karmazinas

Date

8/13/2015

Bibliography

1. List of Connecticut Manufacturers, 1922, 1924, 1930, 1932.
2. Directory of Connecticut State Manufacturers, 1936, 1939.
3. Industrial Directory of Connecticut, 1947.
4. Register of War Production Facilities in Connecticut, 1951.
5. Map of Windham County; E.M. Woodford, 1855.
6. Atlas of Windham County; O.W. Gray, 1869.
7. Sanborn Map Company, 1924, 1948.
8. Illustrated Popular Biography of Connecticut; Spalding, J.A., 1891.
9. A History of Windham County, Connecticut; Bayles, Richard M., ed., 1889.
10. A Modern History of Windham County, Connecticut; Lincoln, Allen B., 1920.
11. Andrews, Gregory E. 1991. South Coventry Historic District National Register Nomination No. 91000482.