Baltic is a the town center village of the town

New England town

The New England town is the basic unit of local government in each of the six New England states. Without a direct counterpart in most other U.S. states, New England towns are conceptually similar to civil townships in other states, but are incorporated, possessing powers like cities in other...

 of Sprague

Sprague, Connecticut

Sprague is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The town was named after William Sprague, who laid out the industrial section. The population was 2,971 at the 2000 census...

, Connecticut

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...

, and a census-designated place

Census-designated place

A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...

 (CDP). The Sprague town hall is in Baltic. The Baltic Historic District is a historic district

Historic district (United States)

In the United States, a historic district is a group of buildings, properties, or sites that have been designated by one of several entities on different levels as historically or architecturally significant. Buildings, structures, objects and sites within a historic district are normally divided...

 that was 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...

 in 1987, encompassing virtually the entire extent of the village.

History

Baltic was formed around a cotton mill

Cotton mill

A cotton mill is a factory that houses spinning and weaving machinery. Typically built between 1775 and 1930, mills spun cotton which was an important product during the Industrial Revolution....

 established 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...

 on land purchased in 1856 by former Rhode Island Governor and U.S. Senator William Sprague. The A. & W. Sprague Manufacturing Co. mill burned down in 1887. Subsequently, Frederick Sayles of Pawtucket, Rhode Island

Pawtucket, Rhode Island

Pawtucket is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 71,148 at the 2010 census. It is the fourth largest city in the state.-History:...

, purchased the site and built the Baltic Mills Co. cotton mill, which opened in 1899. The company operated until 1963, when the mill was sold to a syndicate from New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

. The mill continued operating until 1967, when it was closed and the property and equipment were sold. In 1970 the property was sold to the Casper Division of Bevis Industries, which used it for a mail order

Mail order

Mail order is a term which describes the buying of goods or services by mail delivery. The buyer places an order for the desired products with the merchant through some remote method such as through a telephone call or web site. Then, the products are delivered to the customer...

 operation.

The historic district includes 208 contributing building

Contributing property

In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing resource or contributing property is any building, structure, or object which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic district, listed locally or federally, significant...

s and two other contributing structures over a 122 acres (49.4 ha) area.

Demographics

As of the 2010 Census the Baltic CDP had a population of 1,250. The racial composition of Baltic was 81.0% white, 3.7% black or African American, 1.6% Native American, 2.6% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 5.4% from some other race and 5.7% from two or more races. 8.7% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Events

Baltic is the site of an annual Sprague River Festival festival on the Shetucket River in May or June, which includes tubing

Tubing (recreation)

Tubing is a recreational activity where an individual rides on top of an inner tube, either on water, snow, or through the air. The tubes themselves are also known as "donuts" or "biscuits" due to their shape.-Water:Tubing on water generally consists of two forms: towed and free-floating, also...

, a farmer's market, and activities for children.