Glenville

Glenville

Glenville is a neighborhood in the western part of Greenwich at the falls of the Byram River in Fairfield County, Connecticut.  It is on the state line next to Rye, New York.

The original settlement of Glenville, which was formerly known as “Sherwood’s Bridge,” is on the National Register of Historic Places as the Glenville Historic District.  Covering 33.9 acres, the area is the most comprehensive example of a New England Mill Village within the Town of Greenwich.

Glenville’s industrial history began with a textile mill run by the Byram Manufacturing Company.  The mill  changed owners several times through the decades.  It was purchased in 1874 and was doing business as the Hawthorne Woolen Mill.

In 1892, the company changed its name to the Hawthorne Mills Company. Five years later, in 1897, it was recorded as operating with 20 sets of cards and 70 broadlooms.

The American Felt Company, a New Jersey-based business that operated mills in four states, acquired Hawthorne in 1899.  After World War II, the mill went into decline along with the New England textile industry as a whole.  American Felt closed the mill in the 1970s.

Today, condominiums, restaurants and office space now occupy the mill which is noted for its scenic millpond and waterfall.  The area is home to Glenville Elementary School, Western Civic Center and the Glenville Fire Department which is a volunteer fire station.