Sharon Valley Historic District
Encyclopedia
The Sharon Valley Historic District is located around the junction of Kings Hill, Sharon Valley and Sharon Station roads in Sharon
, Connecticut, United States. It is a small community that grew up around an iron mining and refining operation during the late 19th century, the first industry in Sharon.
Many of the buildings within date from that era. Some are intact examples of their respective architectural style
s. There are remains of the original industrial facilities, and three iron bridges. The area was designated a historic district
and listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1982.
It is a mostly level residential area with mature, tall trees remaining from the forests that preceded its agricultural use. The intersection is located roughly one mile (1.6 km) north of state highway
CT 343, a thousand feet (300 m) east of the New York
state line. The nearest large settlements are Amenia, New York
, to the west and downtown Sharon to the east. The large Coleman Station Historic District
in North East, New York
, is a short distance to the northwest.
Most of its several dozen contributing properties
are 19th century houses with the occasional outbuilding such as a barn. The oldest are in the Federal style and date to ca. 1825; the newest were built in the early 20th century. Non-contributing properties are mostly the more modern houses that have been built, some in the center of the district, and a state Department of Transportation
sandpit. The land on which the mill, lime kiln and other remaining industrial facilities once stood is also included as a contributing property.
s built on its creeks were precursors to industrialization, and in 1825 heavy industry came to Sharon with the construction of the first iron furnace. The valley, with both ideal water power from the two creeks, abundant forest for the making of charcoal
, good sand, limestone
in the nearby hills and ore near Indian Lake to the north, was an ideal site.
The Sharon Valley Iron Company's (SVI) cold blast
furnace employed 12 at first, enough to make it the town's largest employer by the 1850 census
. Over time they built six houses for their workers, a barn, and the Carpenter Gothic
office at the center of the district, today the Valley Tavern. They also likely ran the lime kiln as a sideline to their main business.
A few years after SVI established its furnace, Asahel Hotchkiss began his malleable iron works behind his house at 53 Sharon Valley Road. He formed partnership
s with other local entrepreneurs, and by 1850 he, too, was a major local employer, with that year's census counting nine workers and valuing his annual production at $25,000 ($ in contemporary dollars). His son Andrew invented the exploding artillery
shell
, a weapon that proved useful to the Union Army
in the American Civil War
. By the time the conflict began the Hotchkisses had moved to a new plant at the junction of Indian Lake Creek and Sharon Valley Road. The 1860 census
records Hotchkiss & Sons along with the closely related Jewett Manufacturing Company employing 87.
SVI went to hot blast
production in 1863. After the war Hotchkiss moved to Bridgeport
. The Jewett operations remained in the valley, and employed 48 in 1879. Demand declined late in the century. SVI sold out to Barnum & Morehouse in 1898, and the lime kiln and furnace shut down around two years later.
Sharon, Connecticut
Sharon is a town located in Litchfield County, Connecticut, in the northwest corner of the state. It is bounded on the north by Salisbury, on the east by the Housatonic River, on the south by Kent, and on the west by Dutchess County, New York...
, Connecticut, United States. It is a small community that grew up around an iron mining and refining operation during the late 19th century, the first industry in Sharon.
Many of the buildings within date from that era. Some are intact examples of their respective architectural style
Architectural style
Architectural styles classify architecture in terms of the use of form, techniques, materials, time period, region and other stylistic influences. It overlaps with, and emerges from the study of the evolution and history of architecture...
s. There are remains of the original industrial facilities, and three iron bridges. The area was designated 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...
and 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 1982.
Geography
The district is an irregularly shaped area of 110 acres (44.5 ha) mostly following the three roads whose intersection defines it in the area between Webutuck and Indian Lake creeks. Other than the area with the former lime kiln, the large town complex with garage, park and ballfields to the immediate west is not included. Its north and south boundaries are at the point where development, or at least houses from the period of significance, ends along the roads in those directions.It is a mostly level residential area with mature, tall trees remaining from the forests that preceded its agricultural use. The intersection is located roughly one mile (1.6 km) north of state highway
State highway
State highway, state road or state route can refer to one of three related concepts, two of them related to a state or provincial government in a country that is divided into states or provinces :#A...
CT 343, a thousand feet (300 m) east of the 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...
state line. The nearest large settlements are Amenia, New York
Amenia (CDP), New York
Amenia is a hamlet in Dutchess County, New York, United States. The population was 1,115 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the larger New York–Newark–Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT-PA Combined...
, to the west and downtown Sharon to the east. The large Coleman Station Historic District
Coleman Station Historic District
The Coleman Station Historic District is located around the former New York Central Railroad Coleman's station in the Town of North East, New York, United States, a short distance south of the village of Millerton. It is a rural area including several large farms in the southeastern corner of the...
in North East, New York
North East, New York
North East is a town in Dutchess County, New York, United States. The population was 3,002 at the 2000 census.The Town of North East is in the northeastern part of the county...
, is a short distance to the northwest.
Most of its several dozen contributing properties
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...
are 19th century houses with the occasional outbuilding such as a barn. The oldest are in the Federal style and date to ca. 1825; the newest were built in the early 20th century. Non-contributing properties are mostly the more modern houses that have been built, some in the center of the district, and a state Department of Transportation
Connecticut Department of Transportation
The Connecticut Department of Transportation is responsible for the development and operation of highways, railroads, mass transit systems, ports, waterways and aviation facilities in the U.S. state of Connecticut. The current Commissioner of ConnDOT is Jeffrey Parker...
sandpit. The land on which the mill, lime kiln and other remaining industrial facilities once stood is also included as a contributing property.
History
Sharon's economy had been exclusively agricultural throughout the colonial era and after independence. GristmillGristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
s built on its creeks were precursors to industrialization, and in 1825 heavy industry came to Sharon with the construction of the first iron furnace. The valley, with both ideal water power from the two creeks, abundant forest for the making of charcoal
Charcoal
Charcoal is the dark grey residue consisting of carbon, and any remaining ash, obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. Charcoal is usually produced by slow pyrolysis, the heating of wood or other substances in the absence of oxygen...
, good sand, limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
in the nearby hills and ore near Indian Lake to the north, was an ideal site.
The Sharon Valley Iron Company's (SVI) cold blast
Cold blast
Cold blast, in ironmaking, refers to a furnace where air is not preheated before being blown into the furnace. This represents the earliest stage in the development of ironmaking...
furnace employed 12 at first, enough to make it the town's largest employer by the 1850 census
United States Census, 1850
The United States Census of 1850 was the seventh census of the United States. Conducted by the Bureau of the Census on June 1, 1850, it determined the resident population of the United States to be 23,191,876 — an increase of 35.9 percent over the 17,069,453 persons enumerated during the 1840...
. Over time they built six houses for their workers, a barn, and the Carpenter Gothic
Carpenter Gothic
Carpenter Gothic, also sometimes called Carpenter's Gothic, and Rural Gothic, is a North American architectural style-designation for an application of Gothic Revival architectural detailing and picturesque massing applied to wooden structures built by house-carpenters...
office at the center of the district, today the Valley Tavern. They also likely ran the lime kiln as a sideline to their main business.
A few years after SVI established its furnace, Asahel Hotchkiss began his malleable iron works behind his house at 53 Sharon Valley Road. He formed partnership
Partnership
A partnership is an arrangement where parties agree to cooperate to advance their mutual interests.Since humans are social beings, partnerships between individuals, businesses, interest-based organizations, schools, governments, and varied combinations thereof, have always been and remain commonplace...
s with other local entrepreneurs, and by 1850 he, too, was a major local employer, with that year's census counting nine workers and valuing his annual production at $25,000 ($ in contemporary dollars). His son Andrew invented the exploding artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
shell
Shell (projectile)
A shell is a payload-carrying projectile, which, as opposed to shot, contains an explosive or other filling, though modern usage sometimes includes large solid projectiles properly termed shot . Solid shot may contain a pyrotechnic compound if a tracer or spotting charge is used...
, a weapon that proved useful to the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. By the time the conflict began the Hotchkisses had moved to a new plant at the junction of Indian Lake Creek and Sharon Valley Road. The 1860 census
United States Census, 1860
The United States Census of 1860 was the eighth Census conducted in the United States. It determined the population of the United States to be 31,443,321 — an increase of 35.4 percent over the 23,191,875 persons enumerated during the 1850 Census...
records Hotchkiss & Sons along with the closely related Jewett Manufacturing Company employing 87.
SVI went to hot blast
Hot blast
Hot blast refers to the preheating of air blown into a blast furnace or other metallurgical process. This has the result of considerably reducing the fuel consumed in the process...
production in 1863. After the war Hotchkiss moved to Bridgeport
Bridgeport, Connecticut
Bridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Located in Fairfield County, the city had an estimated population of 144,229 at the 2010 United States Census and is the core of the Greater Bridgeport area...
. The Jewett operations remained in the valley, and employed 48 in 1879. Demand declined late in the century. SVI sold out to Barnum & Morehouse in 1898, and the lime kiln and furnace shut down around two years later.
Significant contributing properties
- Berlin Bridge over Webutuck Creek along Sharon Station Road. A lenticular truss bridge built by the Berlin Bridge CompanyBerlin Iron Bridge Co.The Berlin Iron Bridge Co. is a company that built iron bridges and buildings that were supported by iron. It is credited as architect of numerous bridges and buildings now listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places...
in 1880 and shipped to the area for installation by local residents. It is considered the most visually distinctive of the three bridges in the district. - Asahel Hotchkiss House, 53 Sharon Valley Road. One of the oldest houses in the district was the residence of one of its major entrepreneurs.
- Lime kiln ruins along Sharon Station Road at Webutuck Creek. A stone foundation and some blocks are the most that remain of any of Sharon Valley's industrial production facilities.
- Valley Tavern, 34 Sharon Valley Road. The Sharon Valley Iron Company used this distinctive Carpenter GothicCarpenter GothicCarpenter Gothic, also sometimes called Carpenter's Gothic, and Rural Gothic, is a North American architectural style-designation for an application of Gothic Revival architectural detailing and picturesque massing applied to wooden structures built by house-carpenters...
house at the Sharon Station Road intersection as their office. - Abel Woods House, 36 Sharon Valley Road. Local lore dates this to 1750 but it is more likely to have been built around 1825. It is said to have some of the most elaborate Federal style interiors in the state.