Historic Mills of Connecticut

Companies Associated w/Complex

• Hanmer & Forbes Company ca. 1870-1898
• Taylor-Atkins Paper Company 1898-1940
• The Burnside Company 1940-mid-20th century

Use (Historic)

• Paper & Wood Products

Largest Documented Workforce

150 (1898)

Historic Narrative

The site of the former Taylor-Atkins Paper Company – the lowest (westernmost) of three water privileges in the proximity of the Forbes Street bridge over the Hockanum River – has served as the location of various mills since the late 17th century. The earliest use was that of a saw mill, this accompanied by a fulling mill by the early 1700s. In 1826, the firm of Goodwin and Company acquired the property and the mills thereon and at some point during the middle of the 19th century erected buildings to house the first paper mill on the site. The Goodwin and Company paper mill was acquired by the Hanmer and Forbes Company in 1863. The latter firm was a partnership between two local industrialists, William Hanmer and Charles R. Forbes, who in addition to producing paper at the former Goodwin and Company plant also operated Manilla rope and paper mills powered by the two water privileges directly to the east. Hanmer and Forbes made numerous improvements to the property along the lower privilege, among these being the construction of the oldest surviving building on the site, which is a 172’ x 48’, three-story red brick factory erected ca. 1870. In April 1898, the Hanmer and Forbes Company paper mill was sold to Charles F. Taylor, head of the Taylor Manufacturing Company. Located in Holyoke, Massachusetts, Taylor’s company produced a diverse line of envelopes, folding boxes, and other paper products, many of these manufactured on machines of Taylor’s own design. In November 1898, Taylor partnered with Frederick C. Atkins, a Hartford resident, to form the Taylor-Atkins Paper Company, which continued to operate the paper mill until the 1940s. The firm greatly expanding the plant during the late 1890s, thus creating the core of the complex visible today. Taylor-Atkins closed its doors in 1940 and the plant was subsequently acquired by the Burnside Company, which maintained its use as a paper mill into the second half of the 20th century. Listed on State Register February 2021

Number of Existing Buildings

Four (4) primary blocks.

Dates of Construction

ca. 1870, ca. 1900, ca. 1905, ca. 1940

Architect

n/a

Builder

n/a

Building Type

• Mill

Architectural Description

The former Taylor-Atkins Paper Company plant is an L-shaped factory complex comprised of four adjoining primary blocks located on the southwest side of Church Street and north of the Hockanum River. The oldest building associated with the factory is a three-story red brick manufacturing block erected ca. 1870. This measures 172’ x 48’and has segmental-arched window openings with a mix of brick and brownstone sills, corbelled brick cornice, and a low-pitch side-gabled roof. A three-story, 60’ x 46’ red brick block is located on its eastern end, this connecting the ca. 1870 block to two two-story red brick blocks built on the north side of the factory ca. 1900. The latter measure roughly 100’ x 48’ and 100’ x 80’. The former block is of very plain styling, while the latter is of brick pier construction and has segmental-arched window openings, brownstone sills, and a stepped parapet with tile coping. Both have flat roofs and replacement windows. Numerous secondary blocks can be found throughout the complex, the most notable being an assortment of red brick buildings located between the ca. 1870 block and the river. These formerly housed the factory’s repair shop, machine shop, machine room, engine room, and wheelhouse, and extend along roughly 110’ of river frontage. The blocks are in various states of disrepair and several of their exterior walls have collapsed.

Exterior Material(s)

• Brick
• Concrete Block

Structural System(s)

• Load Bearing Masonry

Roof Form

• Flat
• Gable

Roof Material

• Asphalt

Power Source

• Electricity
• Water (Turbine)

Condition

Fair, Deteriorated

Condition Notes

The factory complex is in generally fair condition, however, most of the original windows have been replaced with modern materials and some of the support buildings on the south (rear) side of the plant are in an advanced state of deterioration or collapse.

Specific Location

One legal parcel (87 Church Street) totaling 6.0 acres on the southwest side of Church Street, north of the Hockanum River.

Adjacent To

• Water (for Power)

Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Parcel ID / Assessor Record Link

• 47-44 / Link →

Acreage

6.0

Use (Present)

• Commercial
• Industrial

Form Completed By

Lucas A. Karmazinas

Date

12/15/2014

Bibliography

1. Roth, Matthew, et al, Connecticut: An Inventory of Historic Engineering and Industrial Sites (Washington DC: SIA, 1981).
2. List of Connecticut Manufacturers, 1922, 1924, 1930, 1932.
3. Directory of Connecticut State Manufacturers, 1936, 1939.
4. Industrial Directory of Connecticut, 1947.
5. Register of War Production Facilities in Connecticut, 1951.
6. Smith’s Map of Hartford County, Connecticut, 1855.
7. Sanborn Map Company, 1897, 1903, 1908, 1919, 1920, 1927, 1949.
8. Aerial Survey of Connecticut, 1934, 1965.
9. The Hartford Courant, 1898, 1915, 1940, 1954.
10. East Hartford: Its History and Traditions, 1879.