Waterbury, Connecticut, USA (Waterville)
1854 - Waterbury

Waterbury, a beautiful and flourishing city of New Haven county, Connecticut, on the Naugatuck railroad, and on the route of the Hartford, Providence, and Fish- kill railroad, which will be completed to this place by July, 1854, about 28 miles S. W. from Hartford, 21 miles N. W. by N. from New Haven, 82 miles N. E. from New York. It is delightfully situated in the Naugatuck Valley, the site extending eastward from the stream, up a graceful slope occupied with numerous tasteful residences. The dwellings generally arc remarkable for their neatness. and are usually adorned with shade-trees, flower-gardens, and shrubbery. In the centre is a beautiful public square. There are now 7 churches in the city, several of which are elegant structures. St. John's, (Episcopal,) situated on the principal street, near the upper part of Centre square, is one of the most splendid church edifices in New England. It is built of granite, in the Nor man style, and was dedicated in 1848. A new Methodist Episcopal church has been erected the present season. It has two towers, and makes a very fine appearance. The Second Congregational Society are at the present time (Nov., 1853) erecting a splendid brick edifice. Among the other buildings deserving of notice, may be mentioned the Scovill House, a hotel of the first class, fronting Centre square ; Hotchkiss block, an elegant brick row, in which are seven fine stores, and several of the factory buildings. There are 2 banks, the Waterbury bank, with a capital of over half a million, and the City bank, recently established, also a savings' institution, and 2 building associations. Great attention has of late been paid to the subject of education ; and by a vote of the inhabit ants, the public schools are now free. A commodious brick building has been erected for a high-school, with arrangements to accommodate over 200 pupils. The whole number of pupils in attendance upon the various schools of the city, is about 1100. A flourishing institution, called the Young Men's Institute, now numbers 400 members, and is provided with regular courses of lectures, and a library of 600 volumes. There are also several benevolent and other societies in the place. Two newspapers are published, one of which, The American, is of 9 years standing.

Waterbury has long been distinguished for its varied and extensive manufactures. The business of making gilt buttons was commenced here as early as 1802, by Abel Porter, Daniel Clark, and others. It was not carried on to any considerable extent, how ever, till after the war of 1812, when the proprietors, having procured suitable machinery from England, extended their ope rations — rolling brass and copper, and making copper and brass wire, not only for their own consumption but for the general market. The second rolling mill and button factory was erected in 1824. At that time, the whole amount of capital employed in manufactures in the town was less than $100,000. There are now in operation 6 rolling mills, and another in course of erection, employing a capital of from $100,000 to $300,000 each. There are also about 40 joint-stock associations in the place, 8 of which have each a capital of over $150,000, the others from $125,000 down to $10,000, making in the aggregate a capital of $4,400,000. Of this $1,000,000 has been added since January, 1853. The raw copper annually used in the mills for manufacturing rolled copper and brass, brass and copper wire, tubing, German silver, plate brass, &c, is estimated at 2300 tons, and a third of that amount of spelter. The number of persons employed in the factories is estimated at 3000. A vast amount of metal is worked up into daguerreotype plates, brass butts, gilt and brass buttons, brass kettles, hooks and eyes, pins, umbrella trimmings, rings, &o. The pin factory here is one of the most extensive in the country. There are also manufactories of india-rubber suspenders and webbing, Florentine or covered buttons, felt cloth, pocket-cutlery, porcelain ware, cotton gins, machinery, files, castings, &c. The business prospects of Waterbury were never more promising than at present. Over 200 houses have been erected the past season, and there is a probability of an enlarged increase for years to come. Population in 1830, 3071; in 1840, 3608; in 1850, 5137 ; in 1853, estimated at 7000.

A New and Complete Gazetteer of the United States: Giving a Full and Comprehensive Review of the Present Condition, Industry, and Resources of the American Confederacy ... Thomas Baldwin (of Philadelphia.) Joseph Thomas January 1, 1854 Philadelphia : Lippincott, Grambo & Company 1854.

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