Historic Mills of Connecticut

Companies Associated w/Complex

3n/a

Companies Associated w/Complex

• Fisk Mill Inc. c.1924-c.1935
• Jewett City Cotton Co. (William A. Slater Mill) 1823-c.1920
• Ninigret Co. c.1924

Use (Historic)

• Textiles

Largest Documented Workforce

400 (1884)

Historic Narrative

Samuel Slater, one of the best-known figures in the establishment of the American cotton industry, bought the Jewett City Cotton Co. in 1823 with his brother John. Although he did not always reside here, John supervised the mill until his death in 1843, when his son John F. Slater assumed control. Employment reached 175 males and 125 females in 1860 (up from 70 males and 90 females in 1850) and equipment included 9,000 spindles and 210 looms. The oldest extant structure dates from 1846; while the 1859 addition was under construction John F. Slater also built 13 frame dwellings just southeast of the mill and named Lincoln Square. When John F. Slater died in 1884 his Jewett City Cotton Co. employed over 400 people. In 1900 William A. Slater, John F. 's son, eliminated weaving, and with it half the jobs. Before then every process to make finished cloth from raw cotton had been utilized here. The mill housed textile production as recently as the early 1960s but today serves as a warehouse. (Roth)

Number of Existing Buildings

Roughly five (5) blocks.

Dates of Construction

1846, 1859, c.1860, c.1870s, c.1880s

Architect

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Builder

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Building Type

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Architectural Description

The oldest extant structure dates from 1846; the gable-roofed brick mill, 2 1/2-story and about 150' x 40', has flat-arched window heads formed by a single soldier course, stone sills and a 4-story stair tower (missing its original roof). In 1859 the mill gained a 3-story brick extension, about 130' x 45', at its west end. While the addition was under construction John F. Slater also built 13 frame dwellings just southeast of the mill and named it Lincoln Square. Brick wings were added to the mill in the 1870s and 1880s. Also extant are the c .1860 boiler house and the 1862 masonry dam across the Pachaug River. (Roth)

Exterior Material(s)

• Brick

Structural System(s)

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Roof Form

• Gable

Roof Material

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Power Source

• Water (Wheel)

Condition

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Condition Notes

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Specific Location

One 7.29 acre parcel at the NWC of Slater Ave and Wedgewood Dr., formerly Slater Avenue address.

Adjacent To

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Exterior Visible from Public Road?

Yes

Parcel ID / Assessor Record Link

• 35 / 87 / 2 / Link →

Acreage

7.29

Use (Present)

• Mixed-Use
• Other: The Slater Mill houses a variety of small businesses; see http://theslatermill.com/

Form Completed By

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Date

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Bibliography

1. Roth, Matthew, et al, Connecticut: An Inventory of Historic Engineering and Industrial Sites (Washington DC: SIA, 1981).