Town of Sprague

Historical Society

Current Members

Patron Saint: Dennis Delaney

Chairman: Pamela Matthews

Treasurer/Co-Municipal Historian: Judy Synnett

Secretary: Glenn Cheney

Curator/Co-Municipal Historian: Roy Hoffman

Colette Hoffman

Mary Delaney

Lenny Papineau

Gerry Stefon

Thomas Hospod

Reg Patchell

Denise Dembinski

Christine Smith

Sandi Carter

Joan Park-Ryan

Austin Deschamps

Jeannette Deschamps

The Sprague Historical Society meets at 6:30pm on the fourth Tuesday of each month at the Town Hall on Main Street in the Village of Baltic, Town of Sprague. (No meetings in July, August and December.) The public is invited. New members are always welcome.

The Grist Mill at 76 Main Street in Baltic is currently being renovated. Soon the third floor of the Grist Mill will be the new home for the Sprague Historical Society.

Please contact the Sprague Town Hall (860-822-3000) or Secretary Glenn Cheney (860) 822-1270 for more information on our museum, membership, events, etc...

The Mission of the Sprague Historical Society is:

1. To explore, preserve, celebrate, and share the historical heritage of the Town of Sprague and its three villages: Baltic, Hanover, and Versailles.

2. To preserve artifacts and information of ongoing history for future use.

3. To serve the community as a center of reliable information.

4. To provide opportunity and encouragement for children, youth, and adults to know and appreciate the history of Sprague.

5. To inventory, catalog, and otherwise preserve in an organized fashion artifacts and information of historical interest.

6. To secure and ensure financial resources for the pursuit of Society mission and objectives.

7. To serve as a resource for people and organizations that would like to know about the history of Sprague.

A Little History…

Baltic is the largest of the three villages that make up the Town of Sprague, Connecticut, the other two villages being Hanover and Versailles. The town hall, central school, town garages, library, senior center, war memorial park, fire department, recreation field and Shetucket Village senior citizen complex are all located in Baltic. There is one voting district in Sprague and voting takes place at the Baltic Fire House which is located at the intersections of West Main Street and Bushnell Hollow Road, (Route 138).

The Sprague Town Hall is located at the intersection of Main Street. and Brookside Ave. (formally Tin Pan Alley. We think that this was called Tin Pan Alley because there was a tin shop located on the street in the 1860’s.) At a special town meeting held in the auditorium of St. Joseph Parochial School on Monday February 28, 1955 it was voted to appropriate an amount not to exceed $448,000.00 for the construction of a new elementary school and a new town hall. $48,000.00 was to be for the construction of a new town hall and repairs to the firehouse. Work was started in 1956 and finished in 1957. The town hall was dedicated on April 14, 1957. It was built on land donated to the Town of Sprague by the Sayles family who owned The Baltic Mills Co. When it was completed, the firehouse, town hall and town garages were all connected. The new town hall replaced the one which was located on Railroad Street, (West main Street), and was built in 1911.

In 1952, $40,000.00 was appropriated to build a new town garage on Brookside Ave. on land donated to the Town of Sprague by the Sayles family. The building was completed and dedicated in 1953.

The Baltic Fire Engine Company, (the Baltic Volunteer Fire Department) was established in May 1867 and a charter was presented to them. The new company purchased a coal fed pumper which was housed in the stockhouse of the A.&W. Sprague Mill where the men also met. Later the steamer was removed to a shed in back of the company store, and the men met in the grist mill. The records of the Baltic Fire Department were lost in the flood of March 26, 1876 as well as was their pumper. At that time the fire house was located across West Main Street (Route 97) from the Sprague mill. When the new town hall on Railroad Street, (West Main Street) was built in 1911, space was provided for the fire equipment and a meeting place for the men.

At the annual town meeting held September 27, 1948 it was voted to build a new firehouse large enough to accommodate all the fire equipment, and provide the men with adequate meeting room. This was built on Main Street and dedicated on June 11, 1949. On September 29, 1980 it was voted to build a new and larger firehouse. Work was started on the building on November 16, 1981. The building was dedicated on September 12, 1982. The Baltic Fire Department is located at the intersection of West Main Street and Bushnell Hollow Road, (Route 138).

Schools

Sayles Elementary School, with an enrollment of 416 pupils, is located at 10 Scotland Road in Baltic. When $400,000.00 was appropriated on February 28, 1955 to build a new elementary school, a committee was appointed and authorized to acquire a site of approximately 8 acres on Scotland Road, (formally Baltic-Hanover Road), from The Baltic Mills Co. and to construct the elementary school thereon. On January 4, 1957, a dream was realized. All the children attending the public schools in Sprague were housed in the new Sayles Elementary School. Until this time there were three public schools in Sprague: one in Baltic, on Church Hill, today School Hill, one in Hanover on Main St., across the road from the old Hanover Cemetery, and one in Versailles on Main St.. In 1861 when the Town of Sprague was incorporated, there were five schools in Sprague. There was the Versailles Public School on Main St in Versailles, the Hanover Public School on Main St in Hanover and the Baltic Public School on Church Hill, (today School Hill ), in Baltic. There were two one-room schools in Sprague. One was located at Branch Crossing at the intersection of Hanover/Versailles Road and Bushnell Hollow Road in Versailles, which today is the kitchen of the Sprague Rod and Gun Club. This was called the Branch School, and there was the Pautipaug one-room school, located on Dows Lane in Baltic. Pautipaug School closed in 1925 and Branch closed in 1926.

There is also an all girls high school in Baltic which was established October 15, 1874. The Academy of The Holy Family with an enrollment of 76 which is located on West Main Street. was built in 1873/74 at a cost of $24,000.00 by the Immaculate Conception Parish. On April 21, 1913 the Immaculate Conception Parish deeded the convent and the land to the Sisters. The academy is operated by the Sisters of Charity of Our Lady Mother of The Church who first came to Baltic from Holland in 1874 at the request of the Rev. J. G. VanLarr who was the first resident Pastor of the Immaculate Conception Church. Over the years about ten branches have been added to the order with the Mother House being in Baltic. Several of these branches are located in other states. It isn’t very often that a village the size of Baltic has a convent and high school of the size and quality of the Academy of The Holy Family.

There is a parochial school-- St. Joseph School, with an enrollment of 97 students. This school was established October 15, 1874 and is located on School Hill Road. The present St Joseph School was dedicated on August 27, 1950. Prior to this classes were held in different buildings the last being the “Little Flower Hall” on High Street. The “Little Flower Hall” was the former Baltic Hotel which was purchased by the Sisters of Charity in 1926 and was torn down in the 1950’s.

Churches

There are two churches in Baltic. St. Mary of The Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church is located on West Main Street. The cornerstone for this church was laid October 22, 1911 and it was dedicated to the Immaculate Conception on September 1, 1912. The first Immaculate Conception Church was built in 1859-60 and was located on Church Hill, (today School Hill). The first Catholic Mass said in Sprague was said at the home of Dennis Shahan, at 162 High Street in Baltic in 1852. The Pastor of St. Mary of The Immaculate Conception Church is the Rev. Joseph Tito.

The Baltic United Methodist Church, located on West Main Street in Baltic was built in 1904. It was dedicated on Wednesday, September 7, 1904. When the church was built it was debt free. There were plans to build the church in 1887, but the Sprague Mill burned and the plans were put on hold. The church dates back to 1858 and services were held in a company house, then in a tin shop opposite the grist mill on Tin Pan Alley, (today Brookside Ave), and in 1859 in Sprague Hall every alternate Sunday, the Baptists having the use of the hall on the other Sundays. The Pastor of the Baltic United Methodist Church is the Rev. Norman Boulay.

Recreation

There is a recreational area on Main Street which includes a softball field, a Little League field, a soccer field, a walking track, a basketball court, a tennis court and a skating pond.

During FY 1964-65 a recreation commission was formed and they applied for open space money to purchase 19.5 acres of land from The Baltic Mills Co. This included the land the grist mill was on, land on River Street. The skating pond on Main ST. and the ball field on Main St. The land was purchased in 1967 and the softball field was rebuilt and lights added and a Little League field was also built. In time a basketball court and tennis court were built. Later a soccer field and walking track were built as was the skating pond across Main St. from the ball field.

Our Home

The Sprague Public Library and the Sprague Historical Society are located in the Grist Mill on the first floor, with a large hall on the second floor. The Grist Mill is located on Main Street across the street from the town hall. The Grist Mill was built by the Sprague Company about 1856-57. It was long a grist mill, then a coal and lumber business, a warehouse, a jail and for years was empty. About 1967 the town purchased the grist mill from the Sayles family. Renovations were started on the building in 1968 and on March 3, 1974 the Grist Mill was dedicated to Louis H. (Phil) Desjarlais who had been first Selectman of Sprague for 14 years. At the same time the Sprague Public Library was dedicated to Chase Going Woodhouse former Secretary of State and 2nd District Congresswomen of Connecticut.

Senior Center

The Senior Center is located on the second floor of the old fire house on Main ST., connected to the town hall. In 1977 the Commission on Aging was started with Patricia Paquette serving as Chairperson.

On February 22, 1977 Elizabeth Noyes was appointed head of the Commission on Aging. The name SMILE was given to the center, the name SMILE means, Sprague Mobilization of Involved Local Elderly. The following have been coordinators for the SMILE group: Elizabeth Noyes-February 22, 1977---Sylvia Gang-July 20, 1983---Diane Sadowski-February 1, 1985---Sophie Generous-June 4, 1985---Marie Davis-December 1997.

When it was voted to build a new firehouse on Bushnell Hollow Road in 1980 it was also voted to renovate the old one and use it as a senior center. The center was first used as a meal site on October 12, 1983. Before this time the meal site which had been under the direction of Victor Benson, had been at the Academy of The Holy Family since 1980 through the Courtesy of the Sisters.. The center was officially opened at ceremonies held on October 16, 1983. On August 28, 1984 The SMILE group purchased a van to transport the seniors and in the summer of 1999 they purchased a bus which would seat 28. Now they could transport the seniors on trips.

War Memorial

The War Memorial Park and Lord’s Bridge Gazebo are located along the banks of the Shetucket River at the intersection of West Main Street and Park Drive. The original War Memorial was located at the end of the Flat Iron Building at the intersection of High and West Main streets and was dedicated in 1926. The World War I temporary memorial was set up on the lawn of the Baltic United Methodist Church. During World War II a temporary memorial was set up where the permanent one is today. On August 14, 1947, a permanent War Memorial was erected along the banks of the Shetucket River. The memorial was constructed of field stone from an area farm and all labor was provided free.

The World War I plaque was transferred to the permanent memorial to be beside the plaque from World War II. Today the memorial also contains plaques from Korea, Vietnam and the Civil War. In 1992 a committee was formed and the War Memorial Park was completely renovated. On May 27, 1993 a gazebo was erected at the park and was called the “Lord’s Bridge Gazebo.” A fence was added along the Shetucket River and benches were also added.

Housing Authority

The Town of Sprague Housing Authority was organized April 8, 1969. An application was made to the Department of Community Affairs for a grant for elderly housing and $325,000.00 was approved. Construction was started in March of 1976. The ground was graded and cement slabs poured, and three buildings were constructed. The project was given the name “Shetucket Village,” and is located at the intersection of West Main Street and Wall Street on Depot Hill. The project contains six double occupancy tenements and fourteen single occupancy tenements, as well as a utility room and a laundry room.

The apartments were ready for occupancy in November of 1976 but rent was not charged until January 1977. The rents at that time were $40.00 per month for a single and $44.00 for a double. The apartments have always been full and the Authority has a waiting list.

The Shetucket River flows through the village going from northwest to southeast and for years was the life blood of the village as the A. & W. Sprague Manufacturing Co. and later the Baltic Mills Co. were built along its banks. It provided all of the water power necessary to run both mills and manufacture electricity for the Baltic Mills and the village. The Sprague mill was built in 1856 and burned in 1887. Frederick Sayles of Pawtucket RI. purchased the property in 1899 and started the Baltic Mills Co. and operated it until 1963 when they sold it to a syndicate from N.Y. The syndicate operated the mill until 1967 when they ceased operations and sold all the machinery and the property other then the mill. Later on March 5, 1970 the Casper Division of Bevis Industries, a mail order company purchased the mill for $325,000.00. After 114 years of cotton mills being on that site another type of business took over the area and that was the end of cotton mills in Baltic.