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Humphreysville Copper Company
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Business New Haven
3/2/1994
By:
Priscilla Searles
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The Humphreysville Copper Company, later known as the New Haven Copper Company had its beginnings when John William Dwight (grandson of the Rev. Timothy Dwight, president of Yale), John's brother Timothy and Raymond French formed a partnership to produce augers, working in a plant in Humphreysville. The partnership ultimately lead to the founding of the Humphreysville Copper Company in 1849 with a capital stock of $40,000. Humphreysville, located on the Naugatuck River, had its name changed to Seymour in 1850 but the company retained its original name. It was French who organized company, with John serving as its first president. The company reorganized in 1852 and the capital increased to $200,000.
By 1853 Humphreysville Copper Company began building its smelting and sulfuric acid manufactory on the east shore of New Haven Harbor in what was then East Haven. Soon ore-laden schooners were docking at the new east shore wharf. The company was given permission by the General Assembly to construct a breakwater. Ore was turned into refined copper at the Morris Cove site and transported to the rolling mills in Seymour.
Workman and their families lived at the site in houses clustered on a cartway that led from Townsend Avenue to the old Fort Nathan Hale and exited onto Woodward Avenue. Others lived in the rebuilt brick barracks that had been part of Fort Hale. Years later Dwight was able to get a trolley line to run to the settlement along Woodward Avenue. In 1855 the company became the New Haven Copper Company. Dwight remained president. A year later, in spite of assets of $615,000 and liabilities of $295,000, serious problems set in. Residents complained that fumes from the smelter were poisoning the vegetation and the smell traveled at least two miles. The smelting operation was shut down. In 1857 the company quitclaimed its 15 acres of land and dwellings to Dwight, marking the end of the Seymour company's interest in the New Haven location.
Dwight began to manufacture saltpeter, using the decayed sod from the salt marshes. By 1962 he had formed the New Haven Chemical Works, attempting, unsuccessfully, to manufacturing white caustic soda. Ironically, on the last day of operation workmen found two kettles of white soda. No one knew how it had been produced and it came too late to save the company. Not one to give up, Dwight went back to an old stand-by. He formed the New Haven Saltpeter Company. As late as 1881 laborers were still living at the copper works near Fort Hale. Dwight died in 1887, leaving no will. The insolvent New Haven Chemical Company and the land known as the Copper Works was sold at public auction and resold in 1890 to the Parks Commission and turned into Fort Hale Park. Fort Hale became part of the New Haven Parks Department in 1921.
The copper company has disappeared from Morris Cove but evidence that it once existed can be found long the beach where walkers still pick up slag from the smelter. As to the New Haven Copper Company, it is still in operation on the Naugatuck River in Seymour.
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