Taftville, Connecticut
Encyclopedia
Taftville is a small village in eastern Connecticut
. It is a neighborhood of Norwich
but has its own post office (ZIP Code
06380). It was established in 1866 as site for the large Taftville Mill, later Ponemah Mill. The village is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
as Taftville and as alternative name Taftville/Ponemah Mill National Register Historic District.
Currently redevelopment of the large mill is being conducted by The O'Neill Group in conjunction with OneKey LLC. The National Parks Service will oversee the historic preservation of the structure, to ensure the historic elements are sustained. The 430000 square feet (39,948.3 m²) Ponemah Mill is being converted into luxury apartments and commercial space.
The Taftville Cotton Mill, a cotton
textile
factory, was built on the Shetucket River
where a large dam could be built to provide power. The large mill building (Building No. 1) was purported to be the largest weave-shed under one roof at that time. The original workers were predominantly Irish immigrants
, and they were hard hit by the depression of the 1870s that began with the Panic of 1873
. Unemployment rose and wages dropped appreciably from 1873 to 1875, causing bitter relations between workers and management in many places..
In April 1875, the 1,200 workers went on strike. The mill owners had raised rents in company-owned housing as well as prices at the company-owned store. Wages at the time were under $10 for a 67-hour work week. In one often-cited anecdote, a workingman said he and his daughter had worked full time for more than three months but only had four dollars between them to show for it. The immediate cause of the strike was a pay cut of 12 percent in an attempt to stop unionization. Workers were told half of the pay cut would be restored to anyone who had not participated in trying to form a union at the company.
The company replaced the workers with French Canadian
s, who would come to number more than 70 percent of the population. Workers were evicted from company-owned housing, and the Connecticut General Assembly passed a strict "tramp law" aimed at workers (such as those from Taftville) who became drifters after their strikes were broken.
Ponemah Mills operated for about 100 years.
A similar mill and village community is Wauregan Historic District, which is also NRHP-listed.
, an independent school serving Norwich and several surrounding towns, Norwich Technical High School, or other surrounding high schools. There are two churches: Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church and the Taftville Congregational Church.
(1889), Pittsburgh Burghers
(1890), Baltimore Orioles
(1892–1898), Brooklyn Superbas
(1899–1905), and the Cincinnati Reds
(1906–1907). He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1996. Another ballplayer was the Quebec
-born right fielder, Augustine "Lefty" Dugas
, whose family settled in Taftville. He played for the Pirates, Philadelphia Phillies
and Washington Senators
between 1930 and 1934.
In the academic arena Saunders Mac Lane
, was the son of the Minister of the Taftville Congregational Church and a mathematician of world note, who spent his career at the University of Chicago
, Yale
and Harvard
. He was the co-author of A Survey of Modern Algebra, a book which was the standard work in that field for many years.
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
. It is a neighborhood of Norwich
Norwich, Connecticut
Regular steamship service between New York and Boston helped Norwich to prosper as a shipping center through the early part of the 20th century. During the Civil War, Norwich once again rallied and saw the growth of its textile, armaments, and specialty item manufacturing...
but has its own post office (ZIP Code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
06380). It was established in 1866 as site for the large Taftville Mill, later Ponemah Mill. The village is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
as Taftville and as alternative name Taftville/Ponemah Mill National Register Historic District.
Currently redevelopment of the large mill is being conducted by The O'Neill Group in conjunction with OneKey LLC. The National Parks Service will oversee the historic preservation of the structure, to ensure the historic elements are sustained. The 430000 square feet (39,948.3 m²) Ponemah Mill is being converted into luxury apartments and commercial space.
History of the Taftville Mill
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
textile
Textile
A textile or cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands...
factory, was built on the Shetucket River
Shetucket River
The Shetucket River is a tributary of the Thames River, long, in eastern Connecticut in the United States.It is formed at Willimantic by the junction of the Willimantic and Natchaug rivers. It flows southeast and south...
where a large dam could be built to provide power. The large mill building (Building No. 1) was purported to be the largest weave-shed under one roof at that time. The original workers were predominantly Irish immigrants
Irish American
Irish Americans are citizens of the United States who can trace their ancestry to Ireland. A total of 36,278,332 Americans—estimated at 11.9% of the total population—reported Irish ancestry in the 2008 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau...
, and they were hard hit by the depression of the 1870s that began with the Panic of 1873
Panic of 1873
The Panic of 1873 triggered a severe international economic depression in both Europe and the United States that lasted until 1879, and even longer in some countries. The depression was known as the Great Depression until the 1930s, but is now known as the Long Depression...
. Unemployment rose and wages dropped appreciably from 1873 to 1875, causing bitter relations between workers and management in many places..
In April 1875, the 1,200 workers went on strike. The mill owners had raised rents in company-owned housing as well as prices at the company-owned store. Wages at the time were under $10 for a 67-hour work week. In one often-cited anecdote, a workingman said he and his daughter had worked full time for more than three months but only had four dollars between them to show for it. The immediate cause of the strike was a pay cut of 12 percent in an attempt to stop unionization. Workers were told half of the pay cut would be restored to anyone who had not participated in trying to form a union at the company.
The company replaced the workers with French Canadian
French Canadian
French Canadian or Francophone Canadian, , generally refers to the descendents of French colonists who arrived in New France in the 17th and 18th centuries...
s, who would come to number more than 70 percent of the population. Workers were evicted from company-owned housing, and the Connecticut General Assembly passed a strict "tramp law" aimed at workers (such as those from Taftville) who became drifters after their strikes were broken.
Ponemah Mills operated for about 100 years.
A similar mill and village community is Wauregan Historic District, which is also NRHP-listed.
Local institutions
There is a public elementary school called Wequonnoc School and a private elementary school called Sacred Heart School (http://www.sacredhearttaftville.org). http://www.greatschools.net/cgi-bin/ct/private/1241/ Students then attend Kelly Middle School. After graduating from there, they move on to either Norwich Free AcademyNorwich Free Academy
The Norwich Free Academy founded in 1854 and in operation since 1856, is a high school located in the city of Norwich, Connecticut. The Academy serves as the primary high school for Norwich and the surrounding towns of Canterbury, Bozrah, Voluntown, Sprague, Lisbon, Franklin, Preston andseveral...
, an independent school serving Norwich and several surrounding towns, Norwich Technical High School, or other surrounding high schools. There are two churches: Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church and the Taftville Congregational Church.
Notable people, past and present
Among the more accomplished Taftville residents was Ned (Edward) Hanlon who managed the Pittsburgh AlleghenysPittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
(1889), Pittsburgh Burghers
Pittsburgh Burghers
The Pittsburgh Burghers were a baseball team in the Players' League, a short-lived Major League that existed only for the 1890 season. The team included a number of players who had jumped from the National League's Pittsburgh Alleghenys , including Hall of Famers Pud Galvin, Ned Hanlon, and Jake...
(1890), Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles (19th century)
The Baltimore Orioles were a 19th-century American Association and National League team from 1882 to 1899. The club, which featured numerous future Hall of Famers, finished in first place three consecutive years and won the Temple Cup championship in 1896 and 1897...
(1892–1898), Brooklyn Superbas
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
(1899–1905), and the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
(1906–1907). He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1996. Another ballplayer was the Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
-born right fielder, Augustine "Lefty" Dugas
Gus Dugas
Augustin Joseph "Gus" Dugas was a Major League Baseball player. He batted left-handed and threw left-handed. He was born in St. Jean de Matha, Quebec, Canada. He died in Colchester, Connecticut. He played with the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1931 to 1933 then played one year with the Washington...
, whose family settled in Taftville. He played for the Pirates, Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
and Washington Senators
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
between 1930 and 1934.
In the academic arena Saunders Mac Lane
Saunders Mac Lane
Saunders Mac Lane was an American mathematician who cofounded category theory with Samuel Eilenberg.-Career:...
, was the son of the Minister of the Taftville Congregational Church and a mathematician of world note, who spent his career at the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
, Yale
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
and Harvard
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
. He was the co-author of A Survey of Modern Algebra, a book which was the standard work in that field for many years.
See also
- Neighborhoods of Norwich, ConnecticutNeighborhoods of Norwich, ConnecticutSeveral neighborhoods of Norwich, Connecticut maintain independent identities and are recognized by official signs marking their boundaries. The following is a list of neighborhoods in Norwich.-Bean Hill:...
- National Register of Historic Places listings in New London County, Connecticut