Mill Record Norwich

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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)
Hall Brothers Co., Thames Valley Mills
Complex Name (Historic)
  • Hall Brothers Co., Thames Valley Mills
Address or Location
812 West Thames Street, Norwich
County
New London
Historic Designation
Associated Mill Community
n/a
Historic Information

Companies Associated w/Complex

  • Hall Brothers Co., Thames Valley Mills ca. 1920
  • Joseph Hall & Sons, Mohegan Mills ca. 1920-late 1930s

Use (Historic)

Largest Documented Workforce

180 (1922).

Historic Narrative

This location at the point of Trading Cove Brook’s entry into Trading Cove has long been the site of industrial activity. An 1854 map of New London County indicates a gristmill in operation on the site at that time, while by 1868 this had been repurposed for use as a shoddy mill. By the early 1890s, the property was occupied by the Thames Valley Mills, which consisted of several two-story buildings used for the production of woolen flannel. The Thames Valley Mills were operated by the Hall Brothers Company, which was formed by three brothers, Joseph, Benjamin, and George Hall, who also ran the Hallville Woolen Mill in Preston, Connecticut. During the 1890s, the Norwich plant employed 50 hands and produced 350,000 yards of flannel annually. The factory was substantially expanded during the early-1900s and by 1920 it had been expanded to four times the size of the ca. 1890 plant. Joseph Hall left Hall Brothers around 1920 and formed Joseph Hall and Sons along with his son Joseph H. Hall. The firm acquired the Thames Valley Mill and renamed it the Mohegan Mills. This was adapted for the production of dress goods and cloakings and by 1922 employed 180 hands. The company was managed by Joseph Hall, president and treasurer; Raymond Hall, vice-president; and Joseph H. Hall, superintendent. Mohegan Mills continued to operate into the late 1930s, however, by 1938, the firm had been dissolved.

Architectural Information

Number of Existing Buildings

Roughly seven (7) primary blocks.

Dates of Construction

ca. 1920, ca.1930.

Architect

n/a

Builder

n/a

Building Type

Architectural Description

The former Thames Valley Mills plant is comprised of approximately seven primary adjoining blocks located at the northeast corner of the intersection of West Thames Street and the New London Turnpike, and at the point of Trading Cove Brook’s entry into Trading Cove. A substantial portion of the plant, including the original Thames Valley Mill, were demolished during the middle of the 20th century, however, several of the remaining blocks were erected as part of a significant expansion project ca. 1920, and all of the surviving buildings appear to have been completed by 1934. The two most notable blocks include a two-story, 130’ x 56 reinforced concrete manufacturing building located on the eastern side of the complex, and a one-story, 26’ x 141’ reinforced concrete block adjoining the former building’s southern elevation and extending to the west. The two blocks were built ca. 1920 and form an L-shaped footprint. Both have low-pitch gable roofs. While the details of the western block are largely obscured by later, one-story concrete block additions erected on the interior side of the plant ca. 1930, the eastern building has reinforced concrete slab floors, reinforced concrete piers, and large window openings. A number of the windows have been boarded up or reduced in size, however a few of the original multi-pane metal sash with hopper style openings survive.

Exterior Material(s)

Structural System(s)

Roof Form

Roof Material

Power Source

Condition

Fair

Condition Notes

The factory is in fair condition. Although many of the exterior walls of the plant are in need of repairs, and most of the original windows have been removed and the openings boarded up, the facility appears structurally sound.

Property Information

Specific Location

One legal parcel (812 West Thames Street) totaling 2.72-acres located at the northeast corner of the intersection of West Thames Street and the New London Turnpike, and at the point of Trading Cove Brook’s entry into Trading Cove.

Adjacent To

Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Parcel ID / Assessor Record Link

Acreage

2.72

Use (Present)

  • Other: for sale 2022: https://www.loopnet.com/Listing/812-W-Thames-St-Norwich-CT/24004729/ identified as Transfer Act property
  • Vacant
Sources

Form Completed By

Lucas A. Karmazinas

Date

06/24/2015

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. Birdseye View of Norwich, Connecticut; Vogt, C.H., 1876.
  8. Aero View of Norwich, Connecticut; Hughes and Bailey, 1912.
  9. Sanborn Map Company, 1885, 1892, 1897, 1903, 1909, 1914, 1926, 1949.
  10. Norwich, Connecticut; Norwich Board of Trade, 1888.
  11. Norwich, The Rose of New England; Norwich Evening Record, 1894.
  12. Norwich, Century of Growth; Society of the Founders of Norwich, CT, 1978.
  13. Norwich; Plummer, Dale, 2003.
Representative View(s)Click on image to view full file



Photographer

Lucas A. Karmazinas

Photography Date

06/24/2015