Collinsville, Connecticut
Encyclopedia
Collinsville is a village and census-designated place
(CDP) in the town
of Canton
in Hartford County
, Connecticut
, United States
. The population was 2,686 at the 2000 census. The central portion of the village is a historic district
listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
Collinsville is located in the southwestern part of Canton. It was built around The Collins Company Axe Factory, a world renowned manufacturer of edge tools, such as axes, machetes, picks and knives. Collins machetes were the brand of choice in South America. Collins tools were used almost exclusively for the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railroad and axes and picks made their way across the country to be used in the California Gold Rush. Admiral Peary carried Collins tools to the North Pole.
Typical of New England mills, the Collins Company axe factory was sited on a river and their production was powered by utilizing the water's strength to turn turbines and power machines. The numerous old buildings ramble along the riverbanks intertwined by an intricate maze of sluices that run throughout the site. The company closed its doors in 1966, but the factory buildings are now home to an eclectic and constantly changing mixture of tenants, including antique sellers, offices, artists' studios, woodworkers and a dance studio. The ambiance of Main Street reflects period architecture with ornate details from the turn of the century.
writing in Reflections in Bullough's Pond
, it was in Collinsville that Elisha Root invented the important industrial technique of die casting
.' Root was employed by Samuel W. Collins
whose Collins and Company was the largest manufacturer of axes in the nineteenth century.
Collinsville hosts an annual Halloween Parade through the historic town. The parade is held on the last Saturday of October at 7 p.m. Children's activities begin at 6 p.m.
Collinsville was voted one of the Top "Top 10 Coolest Small Towns in America" in the September 2007 issue of Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel magazine.
, the CDP has a total area of 3.5 square miles (9.1 km²), of which, 3.1 square miles (8 km²) of it is land and 0.4 square miles (1 km²) of it (12.46%) is water.
of 2000, there were 2,686 people, 1,080 households, and 723 families residing in the CDP. The population density
was 871.8 people per square mile (336.7/km2). There were 1,128 housing units at an average density of 366.1 per square mile (141.4/km2). The racial makeup of the CDP was 97.54% White, 0.56% African American, 0.07% Native American, 0.48% Asian, 0.30% from other races
, and 1.04% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.60% of the population.
There were 1,080 households out of which 32.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.9% were married couples
living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.0% were non-families. 26.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 24.3% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 31.9% from 25 to 44, 26.2% from 45 to 64, and 12.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 91.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.1 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $60,690, and the median income for a family was $66,550. Males had a median income of $44,414 versus $37,679 for females. The per capita income
for the CDP was $29,050. About 1.4% of families and 1.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.3% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.
, and is a common place for people to walk and bike to, due to its convenient location along the Rails to Trails path. There are many cultural attraction in this town center, including LaSalle Restaurant, where customers are allowed to leave before paying, and return when they have finished eating, to pay. Frequently on Sundays and other occasions, there are live music demonstrations in the parking lot outside.
The Canton Historical Museum is located in a former Collins Company factory building built in 1865. Originally constructed to finish and assemble agricultural plows, the building was converted in 1924 to a recreational facility for its employees. Fred Widen, a pattern maker for the company, used a portion of the building for his large collection of Collins memorabilia. Today, the Canton Historical Society owns the 14,000+ sq. ft. building and has a large assortment of Collins Tools, as well as many Victorian items, a general store, farm/agricultural equipment, children's toys, looms, and a Bridal Parlor featuring wedding dresses worn by Canton residents from the late 1800s. Also of interest, are several Regina music boxes, a large pump fire engine, used by the Collins Company, an Edison phonograph and Edison fans. Upstairs, the Farmington Valley Railroad Society operates a railroad diorama of the Town of Collinsville at the turn of the 20th Century.
A research and genealogical library containing thousands of documents and photographs related to Canton and Collinsville history is also located upstairs, including black & white photos of the 1955 Flood. Information about local cemeteries in Canton and Collinsville are available in the library. The Museum covers three floors with limited handicap accessibility, but plans are underway to make the building more accessible in the future. go to: http://www.cantonmuseum.org http://www.cantonmuseum.org For more information/photos about Collinsville and the factory, please go to: http://www.visitcollinsville.com http://www.visitcollinsville.com
In the 19th century, a Collinsville butcher feuded with his neighbor. To spite his neighbor, the butcher built between their adjoining houses a narrow, two-story structure with windows covered by Venetian blinds
. The wooden building located between 23 and 25 River St. was the width of a standard stairway and allowed the butcher to block the sun to the neighbor's home and block the neighbor's view of the butcher's property at will The butcher's son got along with the family next door and eventually tore down the Collinsville Spite House
.
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
(CDP) in the town
New England town
The New England town is the basic unit of local government in each of the six New England states. Without a direct counterpart in most other U.S. states, New England towns are conceptually similar to civil townships in other states, but are incorporated, possessing powers like cities in other...
of Canton
Canton, Connecticut
Canton is a rural town, incorporated in 1806, in Hartford County, Connecticut. The population was 8,840 at the 2000 census, and has grown to 10,292 as of the 2010 census. It is bordered by Granby on the north, Simsbury on the east, Avon and Burlington on the south, New Hartford on the west, and...
in Hartford County
Hartford County, Connecticut
Hartford County is a county located in the north central part of the US state of Connecticut. The 2010 Census records show that the county population is at 894,014 making it the second most populated county in Connecticut....
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 2,686 at the 2000 census. The central portion of the village is a historic district
Historic district (United States)
In the United States, a historic district is a group of buildings, properties, or sites that have been designated by one of several entities on different levels as historically or architecturally significant. Buildings, structures, objects and sites within a historic district are normally divided...
listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
Collinsville is located in the southwestern part of Canton. It was built around The Collins Company Axe Factory, a world renowned manufacturer of edge tools, such as axes, machetes, picks and knives. Collins machetes were the brand of choice in South America. Collins tools were used almost exclusively for the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railroad and axes and picks made their way across the country to be used in the California Gold Rush. Admiral Peary carried Collins tools to the North Pole.
Typical of New England mills, the Collins Company axe factory was sited on a river and their production was powered by utilizing the water's strength to turn turbines and power machines. The numerous old buildings ramble along the riverbanks intertwined by an intricate maze of sluices that run throughout the site. The company closed its doors in 1966, but the factory buildings are now home to an eclectic and constantly changing mixture of tenants, including antique sellers, offices, artists' studios, woodworkers and a dance studio. The ambiance of Main Street reflects period architecture with ornate details from the turn of the century.
History
According to historian Diana MuirDiana Muir
Diana Muir, also known as Diana Muir Appelbaum, is a Newton, Massachusetts writer and historian. Muir is best known for her 2000 book, Reflections in Bullough's Pond, a history of the impact of human activity on the New England ecosystem....
writing in Reflections in Bullough's Pond
Reflections in Bullough's Pond
Reflections in Bullough's Pond: Economy and Ecosystem in New England is a book by Diana Muir. The Providence Journal called Bullough’s Pond "a masterpiece," and Publishers Weekly called it "lyrical"...
, it was in Collinsville that Elisha Root invented the important industrial technique of die casting
Die casting
Die casting is a metal casting process that is characterized by forcing molten metal under high pressure into a mold cavity. The mold cavity is created using two hardened tool steel dies which have been machined into shape and work similarly to an injection mold during the process...
.' Root was employed by Samuel W. Collins
Samuel W. Collins
Samuel W. Collins was a Canton, Connecticut axe manufacturer.Samuel Watkinson Collins was born September 8, 1802 in Middletown, Connecticut, one of seven children His father was a...
whose Collins and Company was the largest manufacturer of axes in the nineteenth century.
Collinsville hosts an annual Halloween Parade through the historic town. The parade is held on the last Saturday of October at 7 p.m. Children's activities begin at 6 p.m.
Collinsville was voted one of the Top "Top 10 Coolest Small Towns in America" in the September 2007 issue of Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel magazine.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the CDP has a total area of 3.5 square miles (9.1 km²), of which, 3.1 square miles (8 km²) of it is land and 0.4 square miles (1 km²) of it (12.46%) is water.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 2,686 people, 1,080 households, and 723 families residing in the CDP. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 871.8 people per square mile (336.7/km2). There were 1,128 housing units at an average density of 366.1 per square mile (141.4/km2). The racial makeup of the CDP was 97.54% White, 0.56% African American, 0.07% Native American, 0.48% Asian, 0.30% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.04% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.60% of the population.
There were 1,080 households out of which 32.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.9% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.0% were non-families. 26.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 24.3% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 31.9% from 25 to 44, 26.2% from 45 to 64, and 12.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 91.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.1 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $60,690, and the median income for a family was $66,550. Males had a median income of $44,414 versus $37,679 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the CDP was $29,050. About 1.4% of families and 1.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.3% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.
Sites
Collinsville center is located directly on the Farmington RiverFarmington River
The Farmington River is a river located in northwest Connecticut, with major tributaries extending into southwest Massachusetts. Via its longest branch , the Farmington's length increases to , making it the Connecticut River's longest tributary by a mere over the major river directly to its...
, and is a common place for people to walk and bike to, due to its convenient location along the Rails to Trails path. There are many cultural attraction in this town center, including LaSalle Restaurant, where customers are allowed to leave before paying, and return when they have finished eating, to pay. Frequently on Sundays and other occasions, there are live music demonstrations in the parking lot outside.
The Canton Historical Museum is located in a former Collins Company factory building built in 1865. Originally constructed to finish and assemble agricultural plows, the building was converted in 1924 to a recreational facility for its employees. Fred Widen, a pattern maker for the company, used a portion of the building for his large collection of Collins memorabilia. Today, the Canton Historical Society owns the 14,000+ sq. ft. building and has a large assortment of Collins Tools, as well as many Victorian items, a general store, farm/agricultural equipment, children's toys, looms, and a Bridal Parlor featuring wedding dresses worn by Canton residents from the late 1800s. Also of interest, are several Regina music boxes, a large pump fire engine, used by the Collins Company, an Edison phonograph and Edison fans. Upstairs, the Farmington Valley Railroad Society operates a railroad diorama of the Town of Collinsville at the turn of the 20th Century.
A research and genealogical library containing thousands of documents and photographs related to Canton and Collinsville history is also located upstairs, including black & white photos of the 1955 Flood. Information about local cemeteries in Canton and Collinsville are available in the library. The Museum covers three floors with limited handicap accessibility, but plans are underway to make the building more accessible in the future. go to: http://www.cantonmuseum.org http://www.cantonmuseum.org For more information/photos about Collinsville and the factory, please go to: http://www.visitcollinsville.com http://www.visitcollinsville.com
In the 19th century, a Collinsville butcher feuded with his neighbor. To spite his neighbor, the butcher built between their adjoining houses a narrow, two-story structure with windows covered by Venetian blinds
Window blind
A window blind is a type of window coverings. There are many different kinds of window blinds, using different systems and materials. A typical window blind is made with slats of fabric, wood, plastic or metal that adjust by rotating from an open position to a closed position by allowing slats to...
. The wooden building located between 23 and 25 River St. was the width of a standard stairway and allowed the butcher to block the sun to the neighbor's home and block the neighbor's view of the butcher's property at will The butcher's son got along with the family next door and eventually tore down the Collinsville Spite House
Spite house
A spite house is a building constructed or modified to irritate neighbors or other parties with land stakes. Spite houses often serve as obstructions, blocking out light or access to neighboring buildings, or as flamboyant symbols of defiance...
.