Gloversville Continental Mills

Image
After the Fire: What Remains of Gloversville Continental Mills A Field of Bricks The bricks were everywhere. Not stacked, not standing. Just scattered across the ground like something vast had simply let go. What used to be Mill No. 3 of the former Gloversville-Continental Mills now spread out before me like a field of rubble, stretching from Beaver Street all the way back to the Cayadutta Creek bank. Thousands of bricks, the same ones that had held this building upright through more than a century of American manufacturing history, lay in random heaps with nowhere left to go. In one corner, pressed against a sealed-off wall, sat what remained of steel beams, HVAC machinery, and other miscellaneous load-bearing beams and the remains of 40 historical knitting machines. The fire had taken everything soft about them. What was left were twisted red-brown skeletons of rust and charred metal, piled on top of each other like they had tried to hold on and failed. Standing there in the ...
Post a Comment

Beer Bottling Works Factory




The historic Chestnut Street factory, once a bustling hub of industry in Norwich, Connecticut, has traversed a remarkable journey through time, reflecting the city's industrial revolution and its current quest for revitalization. Established in 1885 as the Beer Bottling Works, this site remained active in various capacities until its eventual demolition in 2015.


Initially, the factory played a pivotal role in Norwich's burgeoning beer industry. By 1897, it had expanded its operations to include Carpet Cleaning and Beer Bottling Works, showcasing the diverse industrial activities of the era. The early 20th century saw further diversification with D.M. Wilson's Steam Carpet Cleaning & Dye Works in 1903, followed by the establishment of the Norwich Nickel & Brass Company and the Pequot Brass Foundry in 1914. The J.B. Martin Company, known for manufacturing silk velvet, took over in 1926, and finally, the Norwich Paper Box Company occupied the space from 1949 until the mid-20th century.


This site featured two main structures: a three-story front building constructed in 1895 and a two-story rear building from the early 1900s. By November 2011, the City of Norwich acquired the 28,380-square-foot property through a tax sale, marking a new chapter in its history.


The decision to demolish the factory in 2015 was driven by the need to protect against injury by trespassers and its crumbling exterior brick walls to the public, costs were estimated between $249,000 and $834,000 in 2013. This demolition was part of a broader vision by the Norwich Development Agency, which aimed to revitalize the area by integrating it with the nearby 2.53-acre Hopkins & Allen Fire Arms Company Mill complex. This ambitious project promised to create 197 jobs through a mixed-use development, combining retail, office, and residential spaces.


Despite these grand plans, the site remains undeveloped, a testament to the challenges of urban renewal. The former mill properties, zoned in the Chelsea Central District, offer a flexible framework for potential uses, including retail, offices, restaurants, museums, theaters, and schools, with possibilities for multifamily residential units, hotels, and transportation centers under special permits.


Yet, the lack of developer interest in this prime location, within walking distance of City Hall and Main Street, highlights the complexities of reimagining historical industrial sites. The story of the Chestnut Street factory is not just about the rise and fall of industries but also about the potential and pitfalls of urban redevelopment in preserving the legacy of the past while striving for a revitalized future.


🍺 More Connecticut Industrial History

🍺 Did You Work at the Norwich Beer Bottling Works?

Were you employed here during any of its many incarnations—Beer Bottling Works, Norwich Nickel & Brass, J.B. Martin Silk Velvet, or Norwich Paper Box Company? Do you have photos from when the factory was still standing, or memories of this Chestnut Street landmark before its 2015 demolition? Share your stories below.

Drop a comment below or contact me directly. Full credit given to all contributors.




Sources:



1. Benson, A. (2013, December 12). (Norwich receives 6 bids to demolish Chestnut Street mil). Norwich Bulletin. 

2. Benson, A. (2013, September 10). (Developer: Clean up Chestnut Street blight). Norwich Bulletin. 

3. (n.b). Norwich Area-wide Brownfield Study


Location: 77 Chestnut St, Norwich, CT 06360, USA

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Inside the Abandoned Horsman Doll Factory in Trenton

Image
  You’ve got to move when the chance is right. That’s something I keep telling myself—but just as often, I forget it. Or ignore it. And then I end up learning the same lesson all over again. It happened on a quiet afternoon when I pulled up to the old Horsman Doll factory. The place has long been abandoned, but it still holds stories—ones I try to capture through my lens. The main gate was slightly ajar. Not wide open, but just enough for me to slip through with my gear. It was one of those rare opportunities. But across the street, half-hidden behind a rundown house, a group of men sat drinking and shouting over each other. The kind of scene you don't want to get caught up in—especially alone, carrying expensive camera equipment. I hesitated. I debated. I bailed. My gut told me to walk away, so I did. I figured I could find another way in. I circled the block, hoping for a back entrance or even a broken window low enough to climb through. I found one window that looked possible—bu...
Read more

Former Sonoco Paper Mill

Image
  Long before Amsterdam, New York, earned its title as the “Carpet City,” its story was written in water. The restless energy of the Chuctanunda Creek, a modest stream tumbling through the Mohawk Valley, was the city’s first engine. By the early 1800s, its currents were powering the fledgling mills, setting the stage for a transformation that would define not just a city, but an entire era of American industry. The real revolution, however, arrived on a man-made river. The opening of the Erie Canal in the mid-19th century, followed by the iron arteries of the railroad, was like a jolt of lightning. Suddenly, this small upstate city was plugged directly into the world. The goods crafted in its workshops, from linseed oil and simple brooms to intricate buttons and ironworks, could be shipped anywhere with astonishing speed and economy. Amsterdam was no longer just a town; it was becoming a hub. Yet, among its many trades, one industry rose to define its identity. The city’s name beca...
Read more

Former East New York 75th Precinct Station (153rd Precinct)

Image
Station House facing Liberty Avenue & Miller Avenue Historical Completed in 1891, the former Romanesque Revival style with Venetian and Noram Revival ornament structure was created by 'architect' George Ingram, who is cited as the designer of the building. Architect Emile M. Grewe is also credited with having a hand in the collaboration. George Ingram was an assistant engineer in the Department of City Works in 1886, who was not a trained architect by trade. The building accommodated about 80 patrolmen, cells, and a stable via a passageway from the main building. Back then, it was known as the 17th precinct (Originally the 153rd precinct).  Entrance to the horse stable. Opening in 1892, the first detainee was John Pocahontas Smith, who was arrested for public drunkenness. In the 1930s, it was renamed the 75th precinct. In 1973, the precinct moved to the newer 75th precinct holdings on Sutter Ave. It then became the home to People's Baptis...
Read more

The Human Stories of Rockville Mill: Inside an Abandoned Connecticut Textile Factory (Photos)

Image
    The climb to the old Dart Stone Mill wasn't for the faint of heart. My friend J and I huffed our way up that punishing incline, shirts clinging to our backs, calves screaming in protest. But we'd made this trek before, drawn back time and again to this crumbling monument perched high above Vernon, Connecticut. There's something about abandoned mills that gets under your skin, and this one had its hooks in us deep. When Albert Dart built this place back in 1868, he picked the most dramatic real estate in all of Rockville. The mill sits on a rock ledge at the second millseat below Snipsic Lake, clinging to the cliff face like it grew there naturally. And in a way, it may have. The lake fed water to nearly 39 mills as it descended through the valley, dropping ten inches in elevation along the way. That's a lot of industrial muscle powered by gravity alone. Dart built his mill for spinning silk and producing shoddy, a recycled wool material that was big business back th...
Read more

Bayside Fuel Oil Depot Corporation (Part 2)

Image
Before the Bayside Company was fully known as the Bayside Fuel Oil Corporation. It was transferred by Standard Oil, its previous owner, in the 1940s. Its primary use before that time was mainly for storage and refinery purposes. Later on, it became a wholesale distributor of heating oil. Founded by Charles Pratt, it was one of about fifty refineries operating in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. During the 19th century, Williamsburg was the center of oil refining along the East River & Newton Creek. Fun facts, "some of the largest industrial firms in the nation were started in this area (inland & along Newtown Creek), including Pfizer Pharmaceutical Corporation (1849); Brooklyn Flint Glass (later Corning Glassware ); and the Havemeyers and Elder Sugar Refinery in Williamsburg (later Amstar and then Domino ), once the largest establishment in the world." In the early 2000s, Bayside Oil was proposed to be demolished by a company called Clean Point En...
Read more