New Life For Historic Mystic Spool Mill Building

Talk about a room with a view. The 12 spoken-for apartments at the restored Allen Spool Mill on Willow Street have rented without depositors ever even seeing a blueprint. It apparently  doesn’t matter.

Out any window on any level the view is either one of boats and Mystic River docks or a panoramic sight line reaching beyond the river and Fisher’s Island Sound to the Long Island Sound and islands east. And of the two commercial spaces on the ground floor, one has already been leased.

An August move-in is anticipated with only landscaping left to be completed, according to Paul McMasters, construction supervisor and owner of 18th  Century Restoration Carpentry LLC.

“We were a little surprised," McMasters said, as he examined his pipe and pointed toward a large window framing the Mystic River below. "We have no finished apartments, nothing to show; no apartment details even. We’re still designing,” . “We had someone come from Maine (to place a deposit on an apartment). It‘s location—a Mystic …Stonington address.” -

An off-the-beaten path site nestled behind Seaport Marine in downtown Mystic, and despite the lack of a sweeping front lawn, the near 23,000 square foot, three stories circa 1880 mill building surrounded by Yankee wetlands and a historic river, is nonetheless a sought-after location.  

“This is a postcard view right here. An elderly lady from [downtown Mystic] took this unit,” McMasters said referring to an upper floor apartment. Three or four more either live or work in sight of this building. It is beautiful.”

And it’s been a long time coming. Project developer 60 Willow Street LLC, sought a zoning variance and was denied almost two years ago. They went back to the drawing board finally ending up before the town Planning and Zoning Commission on the agenda as an administrative review and approval for a particular feature of the restored historic structure, a 4-foot monitor (or third story). They were able to bypass a public hearing given the site is located in a “floating” zone which doesn’t mandate the public weigh-in on the matter.  The building restoration and design, heralded by PZC members, did get a thumbs-up but by a 3-2 margin; two members had serious concerns about the lack of community comment. That said, McMasters has only good things to say about town staff.

“We have nothing but praise for planners, administrative people, building inspector, all of them and fire officials," McMasters said. So many people don’t get credit for doing their jobs well. They do their jobs well."

McMasters said a number of people also had originally scoffed at the idea of a mixed use commercial/residential at the site: “Some said it should remain ‘marine’ but the thing is, it never was ‘marine.’ This was originally a brickyard and then the spool mill.”

The location will feature eight 2-bedroom and four 1-bedroom apartments; one will have a spiral staircase to the “tower” or third story monitor. The entire upper floor ceiling will be filled with 30 windows.

“I can’t wait to see it at night,” McMasters said.

During a walk-through of the building, McMasters pointed out historic features including original “ships knees exactly like what’s in the Morgan.”  The entire structure is original, he said.

“I love saving, reclaiming old buildings,” he said. “We’ve beefed up the building but everything is original,” with the exception of windows through the framing is authentic.

The building will also feature plenty of ‘green.’ Geo-thermal heating, insulation made from recycled paper and carpeting woven with “really interesting” all recycled materials. And all utilities will be buried.

“When people see it finished they’re going to say, ‘Whoa, where did that building come from?’”

are the leasing agents, of Mystic is the landscape architect and Stephen Lloyd of Chester, Connecticut is the architect.