Map of Lawton Mills, Plainfield, CT

Map

Windham Textile and History Museum

Legend of Map, Lower Right Corner

The image shows a historical map from November 9, 1921, titled “Map of Village” created for the Lawton Mills Corporation in Plainfield, Connecticut. The scale of the map is one inch to 100 feet, and it features a detailed legend indicating different types of piping: steam, fire protection, water, drainage, sewer, and sanitary drain piping, each represented by distinct line patterns. The map was engineered by Lockwood Greene & Co. based in Boston, Massachusetts, identified by job number 5558-A 202. The document has a vintage appearance, evident from the paper's wear and a simple, clear typography used for the title and details.

Name/Title

Map of Lawton Mills, Plainfield, CT

Entry/Object ID

2025.28.01

Secondary Title

Map of Village, the Lawton Mills Corporation, Plainfield, Connecticut.

Description

Large engineer's map of the Lawton Mills factory in Plainfield, company-owned worker housing, and adjacent private commercial and residential structures. The map was made by Lockwood, Greene, & Co., Engineers, Boston, MA, in 1921. The scale of the map is 1 inch = 100 feet. The map is printed in black ink on yellowed white paper, backed with cloth. The map shows the locations of steam pipes, fire protection pipes, water pipes, drainage pipes, sewer pipes, and sanitary drain pipes.

Context

Lawton Mills was a cotton mill begun in 1905 by Harold Lawton, previously the Superintendent of the Baltic Mills in nearby Sprague, CT. Originally a colonial farm town, Plainfield experienced industrial growth in the 19th and early 20th centuries, centered on textile mills powered by the Quinebaug and Moosup rivers. Lawton Mills was a late arrival, and was powered by steam rather than water. An adjacent railroad delivered coal. Lawton Mills doubled its size in 1911. Besides a large brick factory, the complex included 125 duplexes used as company-owned worker housing, constructed between 1906 and 1911. At its height, Lawton Mills operated 130,000 spindles and employed 1,200 workers. The growth of the complex spurred urban growth in the surrounding neighborhood, including the emergence of a lively commercial district. Lawton Mills closed in 1936. Most of the company housing and part of the factory still stand, although part of the factory has been replaced by a modern warehouse.

Collection

General Collection

Lexicon

Nomenclature 4.0

Nomenclature Secondary Object Term

Map

Nomenclature Primary Object Term

Cartograph

Nomenclature Sub-Class

Graphic Documents

Nomenclature Class

Documentary Objects

Nomenclature Category

Category 08: Communication Objects

Map Details

Maker or Creator

Lockwood, Greene & Co., Engineers, FCL

Date Published

1921

Publication Language

English

Map Notes

Linen backing

Inscription/Signature/Marks

Type

Inscription

Location

Back

Transcription

Lawton Mills, Plainfield, Conn., 11/9/21

Language

English

Material/Technique

Ink

Dimensions

Height

36 in

Width

46 in

Location

Cabinet

Map Cases

Room

Dunham Hall Library Reading Room

* Untyped Location

Main Museum Building

Date

April 13, 2025

Condition

Overall Condition

Fair

Date Examined

Apr 13, 2025

Examined By

Eves, J.

Web Links and URLs

"NRHP nomination for Lawton Mills Historic District". National Park Service.

Provenance

Provenance Detail

Donor found the map while cleaning out old client files.

Copyright

Type of License

None

Copyright Holder

Public Domain

Copyright Date

1921

Created By

historian@millmuseum.org

Create Date

April 12, 2025

Updated By

historian@millmuseum.org

Update Date

April 13, 2025