Bronson B. Tuttle

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Bronson Tuttle early went into his father’s business of manufacturing small farming implements. When his father’s factory burned down in 1857, he turned his interests to the Malleable Iron Company, forming a partnership with John H. Whittemore. They produced malleable iron castings, and the company had interests in many important cities. Naugatuck was becoming quite an industrial center. Bronson Tuttle later became president of the Pratt Manufacturing Iron Company, makers of railway track supplies. Besides being connected with other concerns throughout New England, Mr. Tuttle served as director and trustee of the Naugatuck Savings Bank and the Naugatuck National Bank. His influence was widened further when he was elected senator from the fifth district.

On October 12, 1859, he married Miss Mary A. Wilcox. She had come from Litchfield in 1856 to teach in the City District school, located in the Prospect-Pond Hill section. She taught until the spring of 1858, “teaching the larger scholars.” Mr. and Mrs. Tuttle first lived in a house at Bridge and Main streets, it is said, and later made the Beecher house their home. It is believed that the house was moved back to Gunn Hill Road, (now Millville avenue); then, some years after the brick house was built, the famous old Inn was torn down.

Years before this, Church Street had developed out of a one-time cowpath bordered by fences, which led to pastures in what is now the Rubber Avenue section. The Tuttles set their stately brick mansion in the prosperous thoroughfare, Church Street, against a background of green hills, fencing the river. The town of Naugatuck had grown considerably by 1880, its railroad had made industry and commerce important, and many homes were being built on the hills above the center.

The Tuttle house was built at a cost of about $50,000; Mr. Robert W. Hill of Waterbury was the architect. It was built of pressed Philadelphia brick, a material typical of houses of that period. The tower was a main feature; round or square towers distinguished many houses designed by Mr. Hill. The wide porch running along the front and two sides of the house gave it an inviting, home-like appearance. The long windows were bordered by neat black shutters. It was beautifully landscaped, and was provided with its private water supply from a spring on the west hill nearly. The house also had its wide driveways and a porte-cochère extended from the north-side entrance, where, we can imagine, a shiny carriage drawn by well-groomed horses left many a fine lady and her gentleman at the porch in those early days.

Mr. Tuttle died at his summer home in Middlebury, September 12, 1903. Mrs. Tuttle lived until 1928. She traveled much during her life and brought back many curios she found a place in her lovely home. She enjoyed the fine arts and flowers.

When she died the house was left to her son, Howard B. Tuttle, and then to his family, who cared for it affectionately for a number of years.

On September 11, 1935, the property was given to the Town of Naugatuck (for the sum of one dollar) to be used for educational and recreational purposes. It was to be “under the jurisdiction of the Board of Education until such time as we have a park commission.”

This was a very generous gift.

So the Tuttle Place was destined to become school and ball-park, campus and parade-ground, art center and music-hall, and, in recent months, to represent the Government itself to the community of Naugatuck. The years have brought many changes, and we are the fortunate generation which gains by them.

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TUTTLE FAMILY IN NAUGATUCK

This branch of the Tuttle family has lived in Connecticut for over three hundred years, coming to New Haven from Massachusetts in 1639, moving to Prospect around 1800.

Eben Clark Tuttle, born April 27, 1806 in Prospect, moved to Union Village, (now Union City, a part of Naugatuck) in 1846, bringing with him his wife, Temperance Beecher and his young son, Bronson Beecher Tuttle. A second son, Adelbert Clark Tuttle, was born there the following year. About 1829 Eben Tuttle began to manufacture a solid cast steel hoes of the “goose neck” pattern of which he was the originator. Eben Tuttle moved his plant to Union City in order to make use of water power to run additional machinery. He purchased the old Shear Shop on Fulling Mill Brook. From time to time he added to his business the manufacture of other agricultural implements. He built the dam in 1850 and added a shop and several other agricultural implements. He built the dam in 1850 and added a forty-foot overshot water wheel in 1851. 

In 1856 a co-partnership under the name of E. C. Tuttle and Company was formed between E. C. Tuttle, Bronson Tuttle, Enos Hopkins & E. L. Hinman, capitalized at $30,000.00. The site was that formerly used by the Union City Wheel Company. The company was organized to manufacture agricultural implements and malleable iron. In 1858 the entire plant was burned. E. C. Tuttle turned over the malleable iron part of his business to his son, Bronson B. Tuttle, and John Howard Whittemore. The two young men, about 21 years of age, formed a co-partnership on Oct. 4th, 1858 to carry on this business. E. C. Tuttle went to Canada in 1860 where he started a plant in St. Catherines. Later his younger son, Adelbert Clark Tuttle, was connected with this Canadian business before returning to Naugatuck to become associated with the Naugatuck Malleable Iron Company.

Bronson Beecher Tuttle was born Dec. 28th, 1835 in Prospect. He married Mary Ann Wilcox, who was born in Madison, Conn. The business, the partnership of Tuttle & Whittemore, prospered. It was later incorporated in 1871, and in 1888 became the Naugatuck Malleable Iron Company and eventually, in 1894, the Eastern Malleable Iron Company. Bronson B. Tuttle was a director from organization, 1883 of the Naugatuck National Bank, and one of the original incorporators, 1870, and one of the Trustees of the Naugatuck Savings Bank. He was interested in many industries outside of Naugatuck, and was active in the formation of the National Malleable & Steel Castings Company of Cleveland, Ohio. He was also an organizer of the Link-Belt Mfg. Company of Chicago. In 1885-1886 he served as State Senator for the Fifth District in Connecticut, having been elected on the Republican ticket. He died Sept. 12th, 1903. His wife, Mary A. Tuttle, survived him for many years, dying Sept. 8, 1928, in her 93rd year. The B. B. Tuttle home on Church St. was, a number of years later, given by the family to the Town of Naugatuck for the use of the Public Schools.

Howard B. Tuttle, the only child of Bronson Beecher Tuttle and Mary Ann (Wilcox) Tuttle, was born in Naugatuck, October 25th, 1863. He married Jeannette Phelps Seymour of Naugatuck. He died Sept. 29th, 1933.