Mill Record East Haddam

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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)
Moodus Mfg. Co.
Complex Name (Historic)
  • Moodus Mfg. Co.
Address or Location
387 East Haddam Moodus Road, East Haddam
County
Middlesex
Historic Designation
Associated Mill Community
Historic Information

Companies Associated w/Complex

  • Arthur Woolen Mill ca. 1920s
  • Haddam Woolen Co. ca. 1930s
  • Hall, Lincoln Co. 1902-ca. 1920s
  • Moodus Mfg. Co. 1848-ca. 1902
  • Moodus Yarn Co. ca. 1846-1847

Use (Historic)

Largest Documented Workforce

54 (1880s)

Historic Narrative

The former Moodus Mfg. Co. mill was erected ca. 1846 by Daniel Wetherell, a native of Portland, Connecticut. Also known as the 'Stone Mill', the facility was erected for the manufacture of yarn and housed a firm established by Wetherell, the Moodus Yarn Co. Wetherell's company folded in 1847 and the mill was subsequently acquired by H. and S.B. Chace of Valley Falls, Rhode Island, who in 1848 organized the Moodus Mfg. Co. The Moodus Mfg. Co. began producing spool thread in 1849 and continued to manufacture yarn until 1851. By the 1880s, the company employed 54 hands who operated 100 looms and 5,712 spindles. In 1902, the Moodus Mfg. Co. mill was acquired by the Hall, Lincoln Co. of Boston, Massachusetts. The latter firm terminated the manufacture of thread and twine and after installing new equipment began to produce cotton duck. The mill changed hands several times during the mid-20th century and was operated as the Arthur Woolen Mill during the 1920s, and by the Haddam Woolen Co., Inc. during the 1930s. Several fires damaged the mills during the 1950s and 1960s and the main portion of the mill was demolished during the late 20th century. The surviving portion of the mill originally served as the plant's picker house.

Architectural Information

Number of Existing Buildings

One (1) block.

Dates of Construction

ca. 1846

Architect

n/a

Builder

n/a

Building Type

Architectural Description

A two-story, roughly 60' x 38' ashlar stone block mill with a side-gabled roof.

Exterior Material(s)

Structural System(s)

Roof Form

Roof Material

Power Source

Condition

Deteriorated

Condition Notes

n/a

Property Information

Specific Location

Set back roughly 400' west of East Haddam Moodus Road (CT Route 149), roughly 400' north of East Haddam Moodus Road's intersection with Wigwam Road and on the west bank of the Moodus River.

Adjacent To

Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Parcel ID / Assessor Record Link

Acreage

15.57

Use (Present)

Sources

Form Completed By

Lucas A. Karmazinas

Date

n/a

Bibliography

  1. List of Connecticut Manufacturers, 1922, 1924, 1930, 1932.
  2. Directory of Connecticut State Manufacturers, 1936, 1939.
  3. Atlas of Middlesex County, F.W. Beers & Co., 1874.
  4. Industrial Directory of Connecticut, 1947.
  5. Register of War Production Facilities in Connecticut, 1951.
  6. Sanborn Map Company, 1884, 1889, 1895, 1903, 1908, 1925, 1935.
  7. Aerial Survey of Connecticut, 1934, 1951, 1965, 1970, 1985.
  8. “The Cotton Mills of Moodus.” Sievers, Bruce R.
Representative View(s)Click on image to view full file


Photographer

Lucas A. Karmazinas

Photography Date

n/a