Watch a recorded video of this ZOOM program from November 18, 2022 as presented by Bruce Clouette.

The Natchaug River flowing through Mansfield has been exploited for its industrial waterpower since around 1730, when John Arnold, one of Mansfield’s original proprietors, established a gristmill there. Over the years, the gristmill was joined by saw, fulling, and oil mills. For the longest time, these were operated by members of the Swift family, leading to the name “Swift’s Mills” or “Swift’s Hollow” for the village that grew up around the mills. The earliest mills were all part of Mansfield’s agricultural economy, mechanizing the production of things that local farm families needed for their subsistence.

In the early 19th century, however, those enterprises were eclipsed by the mechanized production of silk thread. Two of the Hollow’s silk-mill innovators, Nathan Rixford and Edmund Golding, had a national and even international role in developing silk-manufacture technology. Over time, the first buildings were replaced by larger buildings, silk thread gave way to cotton thread, and an international oligopoly took control from local entrepreneurs. Then for much of the 20th century, the site’s largest building, the stone mill that still stands today, was operated by George Kirby, who made optical goods. Watch the above video to learn more!

ABOUT THE PRESENTER: Bruce Clouette is a Mansfield resident and Historical Society member. Along with Meredith McMunn, he prepared the documentation for listing Mansfield Hollow in the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. More recently, he did the historical background research for the archaeological investigations of the site undertaken as part of the hydro-electric project. He has a PhD in History from UConn and for many years was active in the fields of Connecticut history and historic preservation.