The Lived History of the Gilbert & Bennett Wire Mill

A moderated round table. Listen as architects, artists, and historians reveal their perspectives on the Gilbert & Bennett Wire Mill and its lasting impression on Georgetown.

This lecture will be co-sponsored by the Town of Redding and will explore the cultural and local significance of the Gilbert and Bennett Wire Mill through multiple lenses – architectural, lived experience as documented by a professional photographer, and a town historian – to contextualize, both historically and contemporaneously, the mill and its importance in the development of Georgetown.

Dr. Daryn Reyman-Lock, a Historic Preservation Specialist with a specialty in social theory of space and urban environments, will moderate the discussion and explore the idea of “urban ruins” – how do they inform development, document identity, and play an active role in the understanding of landscapes from a social perspective.

Featured Speakers:

Brent Colley
Town of Redding Co-Historian, Town of Redding

Samantha Fargione
Executive Director, Weston History & Culture Center

Nick Foster
Executive Director, Wilton Historical Society

Elyse Shapiro
Professional Photographer, Artist, Professor

Carl Rothbart
Principal at Architectural Preservation Studio

Rose Rothbart
Preservationist and Senior Project Manager, Architectural Preservation Studio

Co-Sponsors: Town of Redding & Georgetown Village Restoration

Destination: Georgetown, Part One

Join us for a five-part lecture series, Destination: Georgetown, where we explore the impact of the Gilbert & Bennett Manufacturing Company on the development of Georgetown and surrounding towns.

The Destination: Georgetown lecture series will explore the lived experience of the Gilbert & Bennett Wire Mill complex in Georgetown and its involvement in the creation of “place.” Closed in 1989, the mill remains a landmark tied to the development of the area – the settlement of Swedish immigrants, education and the construction of a school, and the local labor movement. This lecture series will present a new look at the mill and help understand Georgetown as a place of cooperation and diversity.

Photo Courtesy of Elyse Shapiro Photography