Pond Lily Company

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By Mitchel Bertini
Early manufacturing in New Haven, Connecticut was greatly aided by the West River. From 1776 to 1896, over fifty mills were constructed in Westville and produced a wide range of goods. Another important feature of the West River's industrial history was created in the late 1790s, the Pond Lily Dam. Levi Sperry, son of Richard Sperry, a prominent Westville resident, was given the land and decided to erect a grist mill in 1794. (Welch,6) Grist mills were used at the time to grind corn and grain, so farmers could transport their crops more easily to market. Before building the mill, Sperry dammed the West River in order to create a manageable water flow that could be used to power the facility’s machinery. Early manufacturing in Westville utilized water power from large water wheels that were powered by the West River’s manageable flow of water. The grist mill was shut down in the early 1840s and soon became a carriage facility where springs and axles were fabricated. Even though during the Civil War, the factory was able to produce numerous good for the Union Army, it was not able to escape the depression of 1873.

When the economy started to thrive again in the early 1880s, James Harder used the site as a paper mill that ran until the mid-1890s. However, the mill did not close; it was re-purposed into a textile mill and named the Pond Lily Company (Figure 1). (Welch,8) The exact reasoning for the re-purposing is unknown, but the new proved to be much more profitable. The company started off by dying fabrics for carriage tops and eventually moved to dying fabrics for the tops of roofless cars in the early 1900s. The company also experienced a boost in production during World War I due to the need for military uniforms on such a massive scale. Production during World War I also led to the adaptation of new dying techniques because the chemicals used in the process were imported directly from Germany.  The Pond Lily Company continued to produce textiles until the 1970s. (Polino)

The first patent to come out of the Pond Lily Company was submitted December 4, 1939 for Water Repellent Textiles. (United States Patent Office, 2,526,462)  The patent was not approved until late October of 1944. This was due to the United States involvement in World War II. During both World War I and II, the mill was converted to producing military uniforms and goods for all U.S. military branches. The second patent submitted by the Pond Lily Company was on November 19, 1946 and was approved on October 17, 1950. This patent was for the flame-proofing of cloth that would be used for military and civilian use. These patents being submitted and approved show just how influential the Pond Lily Company was to both New Haven, Connecticut, and the United States. Innovation was at the heart of production and their long-lasting legacy in industry carries on to this day.

The Pond Lily Company was active in New Haven for almost 100 years. During that time, they made huge advancements in paper and textile dying, created flame retardant clothing, and revolutionized non-slip work boots. However, the challenges on the area surrounding the mill were anything but beneficial. The Pond Lily Dam was causing flood hazards, affecting local fish populations, and impeding natural plant growth. After severe flooding suffered from Hurricane Sandy in 2012, the Federal Government provided funding to Connecticut for recovery efforts in 2013. The State of Connecticut worked along side the City of New Haven, the town of Woodbridge, the New Haven Land Trust, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services to remove the dam in an effort to alleviate the negative effects being felt in Westville. The Pond Lily Dam was finally removed in February of 2016. Today the sight can be visited and enjoyed by anyone. The Pond Lily Nature Preserve stands today were the original structure stood. 
Courtesy of The Pond Lily Company; the Story of One American Business.


           Bibliography 

Polino, Valerie. "The Life and Times of the West River 1776-1896: A Study of Early Industry in Westville." 84.06.09: http://teachersinstitute.yale.edu/curriculum/units/1984/6/84.06.09.x.html. 

 United States Patent Office, Moisture-Resistant Flameproofed Product and Method of Making            Same.Patent#2,526,462.Oct. 17,1950. http://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/ca/e4/0f/98f6aba5942835/US2526462.pdf

Welch, John Francis. The Pond Lily Company; the Story of One American Business. Privately Printed, 1971.









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