Historic Mills of Connecticut

Companies Associated w/Complex

• H. P. Hood and Sons Co. 1930-c.1948
• Marioni Ice Cream Co. 1934-35
• Macalaster Bicknell Co. c.1948-2012

Use (Historic)

• Food, Beverage, Tobacco

Largest Documented Workforce

Unknown

Historic Narrative

Harvey Perley Hood (1823-1900) began a dairy farm in Derry, New Hampshire, and the company in Charlestown, Massachusetts, in 1846. Eventually, H.P. Hood LLC expanded throughout New England and is now a national dairy operator and distributor with a dozen manufacturing plants in the United States. It is famous for its small cardboard 'Hoodsie Cup.' Marioni Ice Cream Co. operated at the site in 1934-35 according to the 1935 edition of "List Connecticut Factories and Mechanical Establishments" (1935 edition), while Hood is listed at 2 Winchester Ave, several blocks to the southeast in the same directory. Hood built the factory on Henry Street in 1930, expanding it in 1937 with office space and additional cold storage on the east side of the building. The ice cream manufactory was absorbed into the western abutting plant operated by a manufacturer of laboratory glass products, the Macalaster Bicknell Company in the 1960s.

Number of Existing Buildings

Two blocks.

Dates of Construction

1930, 1937

Architect

n/a

Builder

n/a

Building Type

• Warehouse / Production Shed

Architectural Description

Built by the H.P. Hood and Sons Company, in 1930 and 1937. The façade of the H.P. Hood and Sons Company building bears Colonial Revival details including both rectangular and round-arched windows, the latter with concrete keystones, a round-arched fanlight over the primary entrance, and six-over-six double-hung sash. The factory was linked to the abutting Macalaster Bicknell Company facility c.1960 by a one-story, 17’ x 104’ red brick block on its west elevation.

Exterior Material(s)

• Brick

Structural System(s)

n/a

Roof Form

• Flat

Roof Material

n/a

Power Source

• Electricity

Condition

n/a

Condition Notes

n/a

Specific Location

Eastern portion of 0.72 acre parcel on the north side of Henry Street between Orchard and County Streets.

Adjacent To

n/a

Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Parcel ID / Assessor Record Link

• 293/ 0340/ 00100 eastern building / Link →

Acreage

0.72

Use (Present)

• Other: Together with abutting former Puddicombe factory building, opened in 2019 as NXTHVN, an arts and mentorship program by artist Titus Kaphar.

Form Completed By

n/a

Date

n/a

Bibliography

1. Sanborn Insurance Atlases.
2. 'About HP Hood LLC,' HP Hood LLC (2016). Web; accessed 11/2016.
3. 'HP Hood,' Wikipedia (October 2016). Web; accessed 11/2016.