Collinsville Axe Factory

The Collins & Company factory opened in 1826 with the purchase of an old gristmill and a few acres of land along the Farmington River in Canton, Connecticut. The company started small with eight men, each making eight axes per day. At the time, workers earned $14 to $16 a month. As the company grew and gained a national reputation for its high-quality axes, new orders flooded in. Soon, the company hired workers from Connecticut and surrounding states to meet the demand. As the number of laborers grew, the company built housing for workers and their families, a Congregational church, bank, and other structures. The emerging factory town became known as Collinsville.

Ranger Properties has reached a purchase deal with owner Rusty Tilney, who tried to restore the industrial complex for years.

The restoration plans for the historic site calls for more than 200 apartments and a commercial hub that dominates the Collinsville section of Canton on a 20-acre river-front property. The plan is to refurbish 23 of the 25 decaying brick buildings, construct several new apartment buildings, add a partly underground parking garage, and create a public river walk and plaza along the Farmington River.

• Address: 10 Depot Street, Canton, CT 06019

• Status: In Development

• Building Type: Multifamily

• Stories: TBA

• Units: TBA

• Square Footage: TBA