Landscapes Tempered with Heritage: Reconciling Embedded Values and Preservation in a Connecticut Mill Village

394 pagesThe Collins Company, the nation’s first axe factory, exemplified the rise and fall of Connecticut industry during its operation from 1826 until 1966. Collinsville survives as an intact one-company mill village within the Town of Canton despite pressures from the region’s suburbanization, a shift in how people value natural resources, and the emergence of recreational and heritage tourism. This case study analyzes the context for the Company’s formation, the history of its development, and the outcomes of its closure in order to inform recommendations for preservation. It delves into the barriers and opportunities small towns have in the conservation of character and the preservation of places. The loss of the Company threatened both the village’s livelihood and its identity. Underutilized and decaying, the Collins Company factory forms a nostalgic aesthetic that contrasts with the vibrant riverfront, the historic downtown, and the revitalized Main Street. Collinsville’s cultural landscapes remain virtually unprotected, minimally documented, threatened by redevelopment, and underutilized by the community. History and heritage are modern-day commodities and subject to the pressures of politics, popular culture, and the economy. Many municipalities do not recognize the didactic and social influences tourism places on planning, public services, and governance. Historic structures and landscapes embody different values depending on the manner of management and utilization. Buildings, once valued for their manufacturing adeptness and proximity rail lines, become obsolete as towns and cities change unless transferable uses for these resources are found. Landscapes are essential transcriptions of past cultures. Places of industrial heritage are threatened by misrepresentation, misinterpretation, and inauthentic manufacture of history. Like numerous other small towns, Canton needs to address the historic values imbedded in the Collinsville landscape and the economic values that drive development. Resources should be recognized for their functional, cultural, and transactional value; and for this, a cross-disciplinary approach to preservation is paramount. Collinsville’s preservation requires identification and documentation. In particular, recommendations include an ethnographic study, an architectural survey of the factory complex, an update and expansion of the village’s historic district, and a cultural landscape study. Lastly, the creation of a Collinsville Village Heritage Commission, tasked with developing preservation initiatives and community programs, could utilize potential hydroelectric generation revenue to fund village improvements. This thesis is divided into six components: the context for industry in northwest Connecticut, the history of the Collins Company, the role of the Town of Canton, the reincarnation of Collinsville as a place worth protecting, the conservation and development of Collinsville’s resources, and the approach needed to inform preservation in Collinsville. A synthesis of context and outcome informs the precursory guide for cultural resource management. It offers a critical review of Connecticut’s preservation initiatives and programs, and of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers program. Furthermore, the actionable items presented are pertinent and applicable to the preservation of mill-villages throughout the region