Sanseer Mill

Infobox nrhp
name = Sanseer Mill
nrhp_type =


caption =
lat_degrees =
lat_minutes =
lat_seconds =
lat_direction =
long_degrees =
long_minutes =
long_seconds =
long_direction =
location =215 E. Main St
Middletown, Connecticut
nearest_city =
area =
built =
architect =
architecture =
designated =
added =July 31, 1986
established =
visitation_num =
visitation_year =
refnum = 86002101
mpsub =
governing_body = Address: 215 East Main Street, Middletown, Connecticut
Style: Late 19th Century Industrial
Date of Construction: 1885
Materials: Brick Walls and Brownstone Foundation with Asphalt Shingle Roof
Structural System: Load Bearing Masonry, Structural Iron and Steel; Wood Frame; Post and Beam; with gable roof
Architect: Unknown
Builder: Unknown
Historic Use: Industrial
Current Use: Office and Storage

Relationship to Surroundings

This large brick structure is one of three industrial buildings that share a secluded, well-kept site in South Farms district. Separated from Main Street Extension by trees and undergrowth, the landscaped grounds are behind a row of East Main Street buildings. This, the largest structure, adjoins a brick building south; nearby to the east is a large barn-like structure.

Significance

This large brick building was constructed probably a short time after the Russell Manufacturing Company obtained the property in 1884. The site, formerly developed by the Sanseer Manufacturing Company, includes a brick building which had been the company's main shop. The Russell Manufacturing Company, established in 1834, produced a great variety of cotton and elastic woven goods. By 1894, it was the nation's largest manufacturer of suspenders, employing 900 workers in the company's seven groups of mills. This mill, powered by steam, probably housed weaving looms as did the other two buildings nearby. These structures formed the company's Sanseer Mill complex. In 1937, Philip Bliss purchased the property, which primarily used the property for office and storage space for the P&H Bliss Company.

The structure has two dominant vertical elements: a four-story stairwell extends from the middle of one side and a tall rectangular stack stands close by. The main entrance displays a small wooden portico. Its columns and plain entablature, painted white, contrast with the building's brick walls.

This structure, one of the least altered early mills in the area, reflect the substantial development South Farms underwent following the American Civil War. During the late nineteenth century, the district experienced marked industrial and residential growth, primarily influenced by the success of the Russell Manufacturing Company.

Current Use and Condition

The Sanseer Mill was redeveloped in to modern office space in the early 1980s. During the 1990s to 2003, the building was owned by Whitney Garlinghouse, owner of The Garlinghouse Company, an archetectural houseplan company, which housed its offices in the complex. The buildings were maintained in original condition at great expense. The property was purchased by Dinar Chaudhury in 2006. Unfortunately, the buildings have fallen into serious disrepair from the elements and neglect.

References

*Middletown, Connecticut Historical and Architectural Resources. Volume II, Card Number 95B. Robert Svec. September, 1978.
*Middletown, Connecticut Historical and Architectural Resources. Volume II, Card Number 95A. Robert Svec. September, 1978.