Mill Record Bozrah

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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)
Gilman Brothers Co.
Complex Name (Historic)
  • Gilman Brothers Co.
Address or Location
3 & 4, 9 Stanton Hill Road Ext., Thomas Road, Gilman, Bozrah
County
New London
Historic Designation
Associated Mill Community
Historic Information

Companies Associated w/Complex

  • Bozrahville Manufacturing Co. ca. 1878-1897
  • Bozrahville Manufacturing Co. 1814-1837
  • Fairbanks and Plainfield Co. 1897-1905
  • Gilman Brothers Co. 1905-Present (2015)
  • Kent Manufacturing Co. 1837-ca. 1878

Use (Historic)

Largest Documented Workforce

152 (1870).

Historic Narrative

The site of the Gilman Brothers Company plant has been used for manufacturing purposes since 1814. It was in that year in which David L. Dodge, a native of Hartford then residing in Norwich, erected a stone mill for the production of cotton goods on the north side of the Yantic River in what was then known as the village of Bozrahville. Dodge partnered with Frederick DePeyston, Jonathan Little, and Erastus Hyde to form the Bozrahville Manufacturing Company, which even from its earliest days employed upwards of 120 hands overseeing 7,944 spindles. The company enjoyed considerable success for ten years, yet fell upon economic difficulties and was forced to close in 1824. Following the failure of the Bozrahville Manufacturing Company the mill was acquired by the Thames Manufacturing Company of Norwich. This firm maintained two other mills in Norwich and was led by a partnership of six men including Samuel, Henry, and John Hubbard; William P. and Benjamin Green; and William Gilman. The business returned to profitability and thrived until the economic downturn of 1837 resulted in the decision to sell the plant to a New York firm led by James Boorman. The mill was reorganized as the Kent Manufacturing Company, and was managed by one of the partners, Benjamin Wildman Tompkins, from 1837 until 1878. The 1870 Federal Census indicates that at that time the mill continued to produce cotton sheeting and twill, of which some 1,123,000 pounds of the former and 373,000 pounds of the latter were manufactured annually by 152 employees. The Kent Manufacturing Company remained in business into the late 1870s. The following 20 years were fraught with uncertainty and instability. By ca. 1880 the mill was again under operation as the Bozrahville Manufacturing Company, however, it was closed and reopened as the Fairbanks and Plainfield Company in 1897. This firm in turn sold the plant to Nathan Gilman in 1905. Gilman was a Russian immigrant who after arriving in the United States found work in a New York City mattress factory. In 1897, he established his own firm, the Greater New York Bedding Company. Initially Gilman sourced materials for his products from the Fairbanks and Plainfield Company, however, after identifying the mill’s potential he moved to purchase the struggling firm and all of its assets in 1905. These included the factory, a village of employee tenements, and a reservoir located in nearby Lebanon. Reorganized as the Gilman Brothers Company, the plant was converted for the manufacture of woolen shoddy used in the production of mattresses, upholstery, and comforters. Despite the damage caused by devastating fires in 1908 and 1909, Gilman Brothers was carefully managed and remained profitable through the ensuing decades. This was largely the result of constant adjustments in its product lines. Cotton batting was added during World War I, and the company manufactured some 750,000 cotton comforters for the United States Army during World War II. In the post-war period, the firm developed a line of flame retardant cotton building insulation, however, this was discontinued in favor of the new field of plastics in 1953. The company has continued to develop a variety of innovative plastic and foam products since the 1950s and today is a leader in the manufacture of foam board used in the arts and advertising industries. The Gilman Brothers Co. won 4th place in the Hartford Business Journal's 2018 Family Business Awards in the 76+ employee category.

Architectural Information

Number of Existing Buildings

Roughly sixteen (16) blocks.

Dates of Construction

1814, ca. 1909, ca. 1940, ca. 1955, ca. 1960, ca. 1970.

Architect

n/a

Builder

n/a

Building Type

Architectural Description

The Gilman Brothers Company plant is comprised of approximately sixteen primary adjoining blocks located on the east and west sides of Stanton Hill Road Extension directly north of its intersection with Gilman Road, and on the north and south sides of Thomas Road directly west of its intersection with Stanton Hill Road Extension. The complex stands on the north bank of the Yantic River and remnants of a mill pond and ruins of a dam that once spanned the Yantic River are located just west of the factory. The oldest surviving portion of the complex is a one-story stone structure located along the river. The block dates to the mill’s original construction in 1814 and measures roughly 92’ x 36’ overall. It has segmental-arched window openings with stone sills and lintels and a flat roof. A fire partially destroyed the plant ca. 1909 and a new red brick block was subsequently added adjoining the original building’s west elevation. This is one story in height and measures approximately 36’ x 100’. Further enlargement of the plant did not take place until ca. 1940, whereupon several new blocks were erected. Among these are an L-shaped red brick addition adjoining the east elevation of the 1814 mill. This is a one-story, 70’ x 70’ block with concrete foundation, a mix of flat and segmental-arched window openings with concrete sills and brick lintels, paired windows (these since replaced with modern units), and a flat roof. Another notable block erected during this period is a one-story, 122’ x 42’ stone building located adjoining the east elevation of the ca. 1909 block. This structure has rectangular window openings with concrete sills, multi-pane metal sash with hopper-style openings, and a side-gabled roof. Opposite this building, on the east side of Stanton Hill Road Extension, is a two-story warehouse likewise constructed ca. 1940. This measures 82’ x 40’ and is of concrete block construction. A ribbon window consisting of multi-pane metal windows with hopper-style openings spans the second story of the east elevation, while six garage bays are located below. Further enlargement of the plant was completed during the 1950s and 1960s, when a one-story red brick office building was built just north of the river on the east side of Stanton Hill Road Extension; and three two-story, red brick manufacturing blocks were erected at the northwest corner of the intersection of Stanton Hill Road Extension and Thomas Road. An additional factory building was constructed on the north side of Thomas Road during the early 1970s. This is a two-story, 282’ x 200’ steel-frame structure with both glass and brick curtain walls and a flat roof.

Exterior Material(s)

Structural System(s)

Roof Form

Roof Material

Power Source

Condition

Good, Fair, Deteriorated

Condition Notes

The complex is in overall fair condition. The buildings in use are in good condition, while those that are currently vacant are generally well maintained yet show some signs of deterioration. The original windows in many sections of the plant have been replaced with modern units.

Property Information

Specific Location

Three legal parcels (3 & 4 Stanton Hill Road Ext. and 9 Thomas Road) totaling approximately 5 acres located on the east and west sides of Stanton Hill Road Ext. directly north of its intersection with Gilman Road, and on the north side of Thomas Road directly west of its intersection with Stanton Hill Road Ext.

Adjacent To

Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Parcel ID / Assessor Record Link

Acreage

5.0 (Approx.)

Use (Present)

Sources

Form Completed By

Lucas Karmazinas

Date

7/02/2015

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 New London County; Baker, William A., 1854.
  6. Atlas of New London County, Beers, Ellis & Soule, 1868.
  7. History of Gilman, Connecticut; Gilman, Neil, 1972.
  8. 'The Gilman Brothers Co.,' Hartford Business Journal (October 22, 2018)
Representative View(s)Click on image to view full file



Photographer

Lucas Karmazinas

Photography Date

7/02/2015