Mill Record New Haven

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Disclaimer: Content for these properties was compiled in 2014-2017 from a variety of sources and is subject to change. Updates are occasionally made under Property Information, however the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation (dba Preservation Connecticut) makes no representation or warranty that the information is complete or up-to-date.

Complex Name (Common)
Connecticut Co.
Complex Name (Historic)
  • Connecticut Co.
Address or Location
458 Grand Avenue, Fair Haven, New Haven
County
New Haven
Historic Designation
Associated Mill Community
n/a
Historic Information

Companies Associated w/Complex

  • Connecticut Co. c.1945

Use (Historic)

Largest Documented Workforce

n/a

Historic Narrative

Streetcar operations in New Haven effectively began in 1860 with the organization of the Fair Haven and Westville Railroad. Service under this company began with horse-drawn cars on May 6, 1861, and was electrified by the 1890s. While the Fair Haven and Westville Railroad initially served sections of the eastern part of New Haven, numerous additional street railway companies were soon formed to meet the needs of customers throughout the remainder of the city. Included among them at various periods of time were the New Haven and West Haven Horse Railroad, the Winchester Avenue Railroad, the West Shore Railway Company, the New Haven and Centreville Horse Railway, the Whitney Avenue Horse Railroad, the State Street Horse Railroad, and the New Haven Street Railway. Over the course of the second half of the 19th century, the Fair Haven and Westville Railroad moved aggressively to absorb the numerous other streetcar lines operating in New Haven during the late-19th century. The firm acquired financial control of the last independent competitor operating in the city, the Winchester Avenue Railroad, in 1901, and on May 20, 1904, the latter entity was merged with the parent company. The Fair Haven and Westville Railroad was acquired by the Consolidated Street Railway Company, a subsidiary of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad, just three days later. In 1907, executives at the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad organized a new entity, the Connecticut Company, for the purpose of consolidating the railroad’s extensive network of streetcar lines and the various companies that operated them. The Consolidated Street Railway Company was included in this merger, thus giving the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad effective control of all trolley services in New Haven, Bridgeport, Hartford, New London, Stamford, and Waterbury. The only Connecticut cities outside of the Connecticut Company’s network were those in Bristol and Danbury. This system of streetcars continued to operate into the 1920s, however, during the 1920s and 1930s many lines were discontinued and replaced with bus service. The last streetcars to operate in Connecticut ceased operation in New Haven in September 1948. The Connecticut Company maintained an extensive network of support services for its trolley lines, including car barns, repair facilities, and power stations. These were scattered throughout the city and were upgraded or replaced as needs arose. The facility on Grand Avenue was a power house erected by 1901 for the Fair Haven and Westville Railroad Co. and operated continuously. By 1950 it was no longer used for power generation. The Connecticut Company continued to operate until 1976, whereupon the firm and its transportation network was purchased by the State of Connecticut.

Architectural Information

Number of Existing Buildings

Three (3) primary blocks.

Dates of Construction

c.1890s, c.1910s

Architect

n/a

Builder

n/a

Building Type

Architectural Description

The block fronting Grand Avenue (approx. 50 ft by 75 ft) was built prior to 1901, and housed ten upright boilers and three 500-volt generators. The two story height brick building with brownstone foundation was designed with bays of arched window openings separated by brick pilasters (and terra cotta ornamentation on the Grand Avenue façade), above which is a beltcourse and small paired rectangular windows with brownstone sills and lintels. The western façade of the former boiler room is a simpler brick pier design. By 1924, another brick engine room was built to the rear and southeast of the original block.

Exterior Material(s)

Structural System(s)

n/a

Roof Form

Roof Material

n/a

Power Source

Condition

n/a

Condition Notes

rehabbed

Property Information

Specific Location

One 1.91 acre parcel on the south side of Grand Ave and the east bank of the Mill River.

Adjacent To

Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Parcel ID / Assessor Record Link

Acreage

1.91

Use (Present)

Sources

Form Completed By

Lucas A. Karmazinas; Renée Tri

Date

10/2015; 11/2016

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 New Haven County; Clark, Richard, 1859.
  6. Atlas of New Haven County, Beers, Ellis & Soule, 1868.
  7. Aerial Survey of Connecticut, 1934, 1965.
  8. Sanborn Map Company, 1901, 1911, 1923, 1950.
  9. New Haven City Directory; Various editions.
  10. History of the City of New Haven to the Present Time, 1887.
  11. A Modern History of New Haven and Eastern New Haven County, 1920.
  12. New Haven Streetcars; Branford Electric Railway Assoc., 2003.
  13. Western Connecticut Trolleys; Connecticut Motor Coach Museum, 2007.
Representative View(s)Click on image to view full file


Photographer

n/a

Photography Date

10/2015; 11/2016