Wire Mill, Connecticut

The Gilbert and Bennett Wire Mill industrial complex that dominates the center of Georgetown – an unincorporated village that straddles Redding, Wilton, and Weston, Connecticut – is an imposing visual reminder of a time when the community’s economy and daily life was deeply entrenched with this family-run business.

The origins of the Gilbert and Bennett Wire Mill can be traced to the early 19th century when Benjamin Gilbert began producing horsehair sieves at home. Gilbert went on to invent the first machinery created for picking hair. During the twentieth century, the company was the leading producer of wire mesh screening.

In 2006, the proposed multi-use redevelopment of this derelict mill complex – a development scenario common to many abandoned urban complexes and manufacturing sites - generated renewed interest in its historical significance, both archaeological and architectural. Historical Perspectives has worked with the management team to address local and state concerns over historical significance and archaeological sensitivity, including identification of former industrial artifacts that can be re-introduced to future public places on the re-vitalized site.

One of HPI’s tasks was to establish the presence/absence of archaeological resources within the mill complex and around the yards of the former homes of the mill owners. Field work entailed a series of soil cores in each of the potential yard features. A skid mounted Geoprobe with a three-inch diameter closed piston was used to obtain representative soil samples. All of the potential home lot features proved to be filled with sand and no further archaeological testing was necessary.