Russell Company Upper Mill, Industrial mill in Middletown, Connecticut, US
Russell Company Upper Mill is a three-and-a-half-story brick structure with two mansard-roofed wings positioned along Sumner Brook. The original masonry dam and headrace channel from the 1870s remain visible, showing how water once powered the facility.
Samuel Russell founded the company in 1834 using wealth from China trade to build a cotton webbing factory. The facility grew as part of a larger network of seven manufacturing sites that supported the regional economy during the 1800s.
The mill reflects the era when textile manufacturing shaped life in this region, with hundreds of workers depending on production here. Its brick walls and distinctive roofline remain as physical reminders of how central this facility was to the local community.
The property is now private residential land with limited public access. Taking a walk along Sumner Brook from nearby public areas offers a chance to view the exterior and the well-preserved water infrastructure from a distance.
This location became the first place in 1841 to manufacture elastic webbing using power looms, sparking textile industry innovations. The breakthrough in production methods here influenced how cloth goods were made across the country.
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