New Milford in Western Region, Connecticut — The American Northeast (New England)
Bridgeport Wood Finishing Company
1881 1927
| | State of Connecticut Archaeological Preserve | |
Photographed by Michael Herrick, September 13, 2009
1. Bridgeport Wood Finishing Company 1881 – 1927 Marker
About Bridgeport Wood Finishing Company
The New Milford site at Great Falls was one of the best unused waterpower sites in Connecticut with three principal advantages when Bridgeport Wood Finishing Company began acquiring property in this area in 1881. A large waterpower supply decreased the amount of coal needed to turn quartz and other minerals to fine powder. This powder was a major ingredient in their world famous, high quality paint products. The company used a somewhat archaic system of grinding with large stone rollers which required a great deal of power. They needed coal to power steam engines which ran pumps and drying equipment and also drove grinding equipment when waterpower was insufficient. Waterpower greatly diminished the cost of buying and transporting coal from Pennsylvania.
A second advantage of the Great Falls site was its proximity to quarries for raw material. Bridgeport Wood Finishing Company bought and leased a large amount of property around Great Falls and found some quartz deposits there. When local mineral proved insufficient, the company acquired a large quarry in the Southford section of Southbury, less than fifteen miles away, which along with a few other sources served their needs well until about World War I. A final critical site advantage was the immediate proximity of the Housatonic Railroad (later Berkshire Division of New York, New Haven & Hartford) which crossed the Still River just west of the factory. The railroad brought fuel and raw materials to Bridgeport
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The finely-ground minerals sold to other firms were used in high quality ceramic and abrasive products such as Bon Ami and Soapolio.
Erected 2007 by Friends of Lovers Leap State Park.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1881.
Location. 41° 32.635′ N, 73° 24.458′ W. Marker is in New Milford in Western Region, Connecticut. It can be reached from Still River Drive 0.2 miles east of Pumpkin Hill Road, on the right when traveling east. Located on the old road to Falls Bridge in Lovers Leap State Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 11 Dons Terrace, New Milford CT 06776, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the American Northeast and in New England. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Highlights of Lovers Leap State Park (here, next to this marker); Falls Bridge (here, next to this marker); Space Shuttle Tire (approx. 1.6 miles away); Bridgewater WW I Memorial (approx. 2.3 miles away); Bridgewater WW II Memorial (approx. 2.3 miles away); Bridgewater Center (approx. 2.3 miles away); Twin Red Oaks (approx. 2.3 miles away); New Milford WW II Memorial (approx. 2.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in New Milford.
Another marker is no longer nearby. Bridgewater Veterans (was approx. 2.3 miles away but has been permanently removed).
Photographed by Michael Herrick, September 13, 2009
2. Markers along the old road.
Photographed by Michael Herrick, September 24, 2009
3. Ruins of the Factory
Photographed by Michael Herrick, September 24, 2009
4. Ruins of the Factory
Photographed by Christa Howarth, June 10, 2015
5. Bridgeport Wood Finishing Company Marker
Found this today off of Chatham Cape Cod on a salvage barge which sank in 1905. It carried various metals bundled into bales as its cargo. This particular disc is brass and is embossed with The Bridgeport Wood Finishing Co. New Millford, Conn. It appears to be a flattened cap or perhaps something which was attached to a container of the product.
Photographed by Christa Howarth, June 11, 2015
6. Bridgeport Wood Finishing Company Marker
Found 6/10/15 off Chatham on a salvage barge which sank in 1905. Disc says The Bridgeport Wood Finishing Co New Milford Conn.
Photographed by Unknown
7. Bridgeport Wood Finishing Company, New Milford, CT in Winter, circa 1900.
The photo was the front cover of a booklet, Water,Rock, and Wood - The Bridgeport Wood Finishing Company. Published in 2004 by the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism and the Office of State Archaeology. From the Robin Stack Collection where the copy was courtesy of John Pawloski.
Credits. This page was last revised on May 19, 2026. It was originally submitted on September 26, 2009, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut. This page has been viewed 3,092 times since then and 66 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on September 26, 2009, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut. 5. submitted on June 10, 2015, by Christa Howarth of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. 6. submitted on June 12, 2015, by Christa Howarth of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. 7. submitted on January 12, 2022, by Ted Hine of New Milford, Connecticut. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
