Historic Mills of Connecticut

Companies Associated w/Complex

• American Paper Goods Co. 1893-1954
• Continental Can Co. 1954-c.1959
• Sherwood Industries c.1959

Use (Historic)

• Machine Tools, Machinery
• Paper & Wood Products

Largest Documented Workforce

n/a

Historic Narrative

Ajax Envelope Co. of New York City and Howard Manufacturing Co. of Jersey City formed American Paper Goods Co. in 1893 and moved operations to Berlin, Connecticut. The firm consolidated water rights at this privilege on the Mattabessett River, which had been used by grist, saw and cement mills and by a shop that made steelyards. At peak operation American Paper Goods employed some 350 workers. Products included waxed paper bags, envelopes and paper cups. Continental Can Co. bought this plant in 1954 and sold it five years later. A tool company now operates here. (Roth)

Number of Existing Buildings

Seven (7) blocks.

Dates of Construction

1893, 1900, 1903, 1914, 1915

Architect

n/a

Builder

n/a

Building Type

• Administration
• Loft
• Powerhouse

Architectural Description

The only extant 1893 structures are the 3-story factory and office building and the dam. The 45' x 38' brick building has a flat roof with monitor: the building's west end is in the shape of a half-circle, an architectural conceit that was apparently unrelated to the use of the structure. The curved gravity dam, about 15' high, consists of stone blocks. Headgates and trash rack survive as well but the water power system is not currently in use. Extending east from the 1893 building are four 4-story, flat-roofed brick factories, built in 1900 (172' x 41' and 89' x 41'), 1903 (77' x 65') and 1914 (130' x 65'). The 1915 brick, monitor-roofed boiler house contains a 1920 Bigelow horizontal fire-tube boiler. (Roth)

Exterior Material(s)

• Brick

Structural System(s)

n/a

Roof Form

• Flat
• Monitor

Roof Material

n/a

Power Source

n/a

Condition

n/a

Condition Notes

n/a

Specific Location

SEC of Main Street and Percival Avenue along the north bank of the Mattabessett River

Adjacent To

• Water (for Power)

Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Parcel ID / Assessor Record Link

• 8-4/ 54/ 1/ 7905 / Link →

Acreage

25

Use (Present)

• Residential

Form Completed By

n/a

Date

n/a

Bibliography

1. Roth, Matthew, et al, Connecticut: An Inventory of Historic Engineering and Industrial Sites (Washington DC: SIA, 1981).
2. Sherwood Industries State Register Nomination on file at SHPO, Hartford CT.