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Eli Whitney’s armory was built along the Mill River for two reasons: water power and transportation. At the site, the low ridge of land that connects East Rock and Mill Rock created a natural waterfall in the Mill River, perfect for supplying power via a water wheel. Additionally, the Mill River was tidal up to the waterfall. Shallow-bottomed boats could travel from the Armory and through the river’s marshes below East Rock before joining the Quinnipiac River estuary and, only a few miles away, New Haven Harbor. This made it easy to transport supplies like iron and charcoal to the site and to distribute finished products.
The Grist Mill
In 1640, the early New Haven colonist Sergeant William Fowler built a mill at the waterfall below East Rock. The river that powered the mill was named after it, as was the rocky outcrop that rose to its west: the Mill River and Mill Rock.
By 1665, Fowler’s mill had burned down - a frequent fate of mills, because flour is highly flammable. William Bradley and Christopher Todd rebuilt the mill. Todd and his family operated it for many years, leading it to be known as “Todd’s Mill.”
The millers improved the natural water power of the site by building a small dam across the waterfall, creating a millpond. From the pond, water could be released through a mill race, a small channel that directed at the waterwheel.
The mill was built to grind grains like corn or wheat into meal or flour. Grain intended for grinding is known as “grist”, and mills that produce flour are known as grist mills. The flour was needed to feed the new and growing New Haven Colony. Today, you can still see millstones at the Eli Whitney Museum and Workshop along the walkway between the Main Building and the Carter Studio. They are a record of the deep industrial history of the site.
The mill below East Rock was the first of many mills and factories along the Mill River. It changed hands several times in the next 150 years. By the 1780s, it was owned by the Sabin family. In 1787, the Sabins sold it to James Hillhouse, Charles Channey, and Pierpont Edwards, business partners who were planning to build the Hartford and New Haven Turnpike through the property. These men in turn sold the mill site to Eli Whitney in 1798 for his new armory.
Crossing the River
The Whitney Armory site is divided in two by the Mill River. The main armory workshop buildings stood on the west bank of the river, where the EWMW’s workshop and exhibit buildings now stand. The east bank was the site of the forge and coal store and other auxiliary buildings. A simple, low wooden bridge linked the two sides of the river. It was supported by stone piers which survive and now support the replica of the Town Bridge. The original Town Bridge lay just north of the Armory where the Turnpike crossed the river.
Lake Whitney
In 1859, Eli Whitney Jr. started building a much larger dam at the Armory site, creating Lake Whitney. The dam and lake would solve two problems: the need for more water power at the Armory and the need for water in New Haven.
The dam was built with stone quarried from East Rock and Mill Rock. When completed, it was 38 feet high and 500 feet long.
The new lake stretched north for 2 miles. Three mills were submerged. 20 buildings were relocated to escape the water, as were three bridges, including the Town Bridge.
The original dam and reservoir have been expanded twice since 1862.