Stafford Hollow, Connecticut
Encyclopedia
Stafford Hollow, also known as Stafford, Stafford Village, or Furnace Hollow, is a village in the town of Stafford
, in Tolland County, Connecticut
, located at the junction of Route 19
and Route 319. Stafford Hollow was the town center of Stafford during the 18th and 19th centuries, before the growth of the village of Stafford Springs.
A 0.26 mi2 area of the village has been designated a historic district
, the Stafford Hollow Historic District, which includes Colonial Revival, Greek Revival
, and Late Victorian architecture
. Twentieth-century houses on the roads radiating away from the village center are not included in the historic district.
As early as 1779, Stafford Hollow was the site of a blast furnace
, known as Phelps blast furnace, that processed bog iron ores. The Phelps furnace is reputed to have produced cannon
and cannon balls
, kettles, and pots for use by the Continental Army
. It operated until 1840, when the local ore supply had been used up.
Stafford Hollow Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1987. The historic district includes five of the Town of Stafford's most significant buildings. The district includes the Pinney School building, a Queen Anne style structure from 1895. It includes the Valley Cotton Mill site, now ruins, which was destroyed in 1900.
Stafford, Connecticut
Stafford is a town in Tolland County, Connecticut, United States, settled in 1719. The population was 11,307 at the 2000 census.-History:The Colonial Town of Stafford began as a rural agricultural community...
, in Tolland County, Connecticut
Tolland County, Connecticut
Tolland County is a county located in the northeastern part of Connecticut. As of 2010, the population was 152,691.Counties in Connecticut have no governmental function: all legal power is vested in the state, city, and town governments...
, located at the junction of Route 19
Route 19 (Connecticut)
Route 19 is a minor Connecticut state route running from Stafford to the Massachusetts state line. It is long and runs north–south, entirely within Stafford. The road interconnects the settlements in the eastern part of the town....
and Route 319. Stafford Hollow was the town center of Stafford during the 18th and 19th centuries, before the growth of the village of Stafford Springs.
A 0.26 mi2 area of the village has been 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...
, the Stafford Hollow Historic District, which includes Colonial Revival, Greek Revival
Greek Revival architecture
The Greek Revival was an architectural movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in Northern Europe and the United States. A product of Hellenism, it may be looked upon as the last phase in the development of Neoclassical architecture...
, and Late Victorian architecture
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
. Twentieth-century houses on the roads radiating away from the village center are not included in the historic district.
As early as 1779, Stafford Hollow was the site of a blast furnace
Blast furnace
A blast furnace is a type of metallurgical furnace used for smelting to produce industrial metals, generally iron.In a blast furnace, fuel and ore and flux are continuously supplied through the top of the furnace, while air is blown into the bottom of the chamber, so that the chemical reactions...
, known as Phelps blast furnace, that processed bog iron ores. The Phelps furnace is reputed to have produced cannon
Cannon
A cannon is any piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellents to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,...
and cannon balls
Round shot
Round shot is a solid projectile without explosive charge, fired from a cannon. As the name implies, round shot is spherical; its diameter is slightly less than the bore of the gun it is fired from.Round shot was made in early times from dressed stone, but by the 17th century, from iron...
, kettles, and pots for use by the Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
. It operated until 1840, when the local ore supply had been used up.
Stafford Hollow Historic District 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. The historic district includes five of the Town of Stafford's most significant buildings. The district includes the Pinney School building, a Queen Anne style structure from 1895. It includes the Valley Cotton Mill site, now ruins, which was destroyed in 1900.