Governor Sees State Aid In Action At Old Mill In Vernon

VERNON, CT — Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont Wednesday had a first-hand look at what all that state aid is doing to preserve the historic Daniel's Mill building in Downtown Rockville.

It was the perfect day for a tour with the water surging through the spillway under the adjacent and equally historic Amerbelle complex. The Hockanum River literally flows through the complex.

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The state has contributed millions in the efforts to restore the buildings.

As far as Daniel's Mill is concerned, the roof to the Victorian-Era building was recently removed in the quest to renovate the complex for future use.

A big part of the work includes the abatement of a former paint company's remnants. It's part of a statewide remediation program for old mill sites bolstered by $4.5 million grant sourced by both Hartford and Washington.

Vernon Director of Development Services Shaun Gately said that, in essence, the aged roof is "shot," but the huge underlying problem is traces of PCBs in the beams, the walls and the flooring.

The wood needs to be replaced floor-by-floor and then the bricks must be cleaned, he said.

Gately said it was common in the 1950s into the 1970s for lead-based paint to contain PCBs. And the company, he said, made flame-retardant paint that has left traces of them "all over the place."

Daniel's Mill, at 98 East Main St. in the Rockville section of Vernon, is one of the historic textile mills that helped establish Rockville as an important industrial center along the Hockanum River.

The mill dates to 1865.

The future hope is to convert the old mill into a housing and retail presence in the Downtown Rockville area.