Hilliard Mills facts for kids

The Hilliard Mills complex is a really old and important factory site in Manchester, Connecticut. It's located at 642 Hilliard Street. This historic place has six main buildings. They cover about 104,000 square feet. The site sits where the Bigelow Brook and Hockanum River meet. It's listed on the State of Connecticut's list of historic places.

A Look Back: The History of Hilliard Mills

From Sawmill to Woolen Factory

The story of Hilliard Mills began a very long time ago. In 1672, John Allen was given land to build a sawmill. This makes it one of the oldest industrial sites in the country. It has been used for factories almost continuously since then!

Around 1780, a man named Aaron Buckland had a woolen mill here. This was likely the very first woolen mill in the United States. People say that the wool for the suit President George Washington wore to his inauguration came from this mill. It's also confirmed that this factory made blankets for soldiers during the War of 1812.

In 1824, Aaron Buckland sold the mill. It changed hands a few times. In 1828, Sidney Pitkin bought it. He took on a young apprentice named Elisha Edgarton Hilliard.

The Hilliard Family Takes Over

By 1832, Mr. Hilliard owned a quarter of the mill. By 1842, he owned the whole thing! In 1849, he sold a part of it to Ralph E. Spencer. The business was then called Hilliard and Spencer.

By 1871, Mr. Hilliard owned the factory completely again. It was renamed the E. E. Hilliard Company. During this time, the company made blankets and clothes for the Union Army in the American Civil War.

After E. E. Hilliard passed away in 1881, his son took over. He built Building #2 in 1895. The company kept growing. In 1901, they got rights to a special pond. They built a long channel, called a raceway, through Building #4. This channel helped power the machines and provided water for washing. The mill expanded even more in 1925 with the addition of Building #1. This helped with their growing business.

Changes Over Time

The Great Depression hit the business hard. By 1940, the mills were quiet. When it closed, the Hilliard Company was the oldest family-owned factory in the U.S. that had run continuously.

The site was then sold to Mr. Aaron Krock. He rented the buildings to the United Aircraft Corporation. During World War II, the site was called Plant J at Buckland. They made small parts for aircraft there. They also fixed tools for all of United Aircraft.

In 1949, the Bezzini Brothers bought the entire site. They started their company, Old Colony Furniture. At its best, Old Colony was one of the biggest furniture makers on the East Coast. They supplied stores like Macy's and Saks Fifth Avenue. They were known for their great upholstery work.

In 2006, the Bezzini brothers sold some buildings to Hilliard Mills LLC. In 2009, Hilliard Mills LLC bought the rest of the mill buildings. This brought the whole site back together for the first time since 1980.

Buildings at Hilliard Mills

Many different buildings have been part of this site over hundreds of years. Here are the main ones you can see today.

Current Structures

• Building #1: This building was built in 1925. It has a cool Art Deco style front. The other sides look like classic New England mills. It cost over $150,000 to build back then. It's one of the oldest examples of Art Deco style in Connecticut. This is the biggest building, with three floors and about 50,000 square feet. It's made of brick, steel, and strong timbers. Building #1 is connected to Building #2.

• Building #2: Built in 1895, this is a huge timber-frame building. It's four stories tall and has 30,000 square feet. It's the largest timber-frame building in Connecticut that isn't a barn. Its main beams are made of very strong Longleaf pine. Some are over 40 feet long! Building #2 connects to Building #1.

• Building #3: This building was built in two parts. The first part was added in 1882. The second part was added in 1905. It has two stories and 8,000 square feet. It's built in the brick and timber style.

• Building #4: This was the dye house for the mill. The current building was built in 1902 and 1923. You can still see the original brick floor from the 1800s! This building has a special roof design called a clearstory. It's one story and 6,630 square feet.

• Building #5: This small building was added around 1890 as an office. It's next to Building #6. It's designed in the fancy Queen Anne Victorian style. It's less than 1,000 square feet.

• Building #6: Around 1780, Aaron Buckland built his carding mill here. It was rebuilt in 1833-34 after a fire. A large three-story part was added, made of hand-cut chestnut beams. Later, more additions were made. Today, Building #6 is 7,680 square feet and three stories tall. It's in the Greek Revival Style.

• Original Dam: You can still see parts of the old earthen and granite dam south of Building #6. Floods damaged it in 1869, 1909, and 1938. The part across the brook is gone, but you can still see the granite stones along the brook.

Former Structures (No Longer Standing)

• John Allen's Sawmill: Built in the 1670s, nothing remains of these very first buildings.
• Carding Mill: The original carding mill built by Aaron Buckland around 1780 burned down in 1833. Its ruins were removed in 2015 for safety.
• Chimney: The Hilliard Mills once had a huge chimney, 107 feet tall! The top part was removed in 1995.
• Hilliard's Pond and Dam: There was a large concrete dam that fed water through a long pipe to power a turbine in Building #6. The dam was broken on purpose in 1978, but you can still see its ruins.
• Water Tower: A 50,000-gallon water tank was built in 1925 to feed the sprinkler system. It was removed in 1995.
• Horizontal Turbine, Penstock and Mill Raceway: The turbine that powered the mill is still in place under Building #6! It was uncovered in 2016. There are plans to make it a historical display.

Timeline of Hilliard Mills

• Around 1780-1824: Aaron Buckland starts and runs the first woolen mill in the country.
• 1789: Wool for George Washington's inauguration suit supposedly comes from Buckland's mill.
• 1824: Aaron Buckland sells the mill.
• 1828: Sidney Pitkin buys the property.
• 1831: Elisha E. Hilliard becomes part owner.
• 1833: Building #6 is constructed.
• 1842: E. E. Hilliard becomes the sole owner.
• 1849: Mr. Hilliard partners with Ralph Spencer, forming Hilliard and Spencer Company.
• 1871-1940: Mr. Hilliard and his family run the E.E. Hilliard Woolen Company.
• 1882: Building #3 is constructed.
• 1895: Building #2 is constructed.
• 1925: Building #1 is constructed.
• 1940-1949: Mr. Aaron Krock buys the buildings. They are used to make aircraft parts during World War II.
• 1949-2006: The Bezzini family buys the site. Their Old Colony Furniture Company becomes a big furniture maker.
• 2006: Hilliard Mills LLC takes over the main site and starts restoring it.
• 2009: Hilliard Mills LLC buys the rest of the mill buildings, bringing the whole site back together.

Hilliard Mills Today

The Hilliard Mills site is being redeveloped for businesses. This project is a great example of adaptive reuse. That means old buildings are being fixed up and given new uses. It's also a mill conversion, turning an old mill into something new.

All the buildings are being carefully restored and renovated. Buildings 1, 2, and 3 are already in use! Work is also being done on the land, parking areas, and landscaping.