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Manchester, Connecticut: The Silk City's Mill Empire

Manchester, Connecticut

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Cheney Hall Main Street, Manchester A downtown Manchester green

Manchester was settled in 1672 and incorporated as a town in 1823 from part of East Hartford; before taking its current name, honoring Manchester, England, the area was known as the Five Mile Track and later as Orford Parish. The Cheney family began cultivating mulberry trees in the 1830s and moved into silk production in 1838, becoming the first America-based silk company to successfully raise silkworms and master spinning and weaving, and practicing "welfare capitalism" by providing workers housing, utilities, churches and schools. Cheney Brothers Mills grew into the world's largest silk factory complex, earning Manchester its "Silk City" nickname, while the Hockanum River powered textile, paper, repeating-rifle and glass manufacturing; Pitkin Glassworks, operating from 1783 to 1830, was Connecticut's first successful glassworks. The Cheney Brothers Historic District, a National Historic Landmark since 1978, covers 175 acres with over 275 surviving mill buildings, workers' houses and family mansions.

  1. Connecticut's oldest operating theater, home to the Little Theatre of Manchester.

  2. A hands-on children's museum with live animal ambassadors.

  3. The oldest surviving Cheney family building, 1785.

  4. Local history from Podunk times to Buckland's dinosaur finds.

  5. 640 acres with skyline views and a well-regarded bike trail.

  6. A 280-acre estate park opened to the public in 1960.

  7. A James Beard "American Classic" since 1948.

  8. A roastery and cafe on downtown Main Street.

  9. A Manchester-founded brewery's original taproom.

  10. Extended-stay hotel near I-84.

  11. A select-service hotel near Buckland Hills.

A silk empire, preserved

Sixteen mill buildings survive along Pine and Elm Streets, built mostly between 1880 and 1920, before the Cheney firm declined after synthetic fibers arrived in the 1920s and sold out in 1954. Cheney Hall, the family's social hall on Hartford Road within the historic district, bills itself the oldest operating theater in Connecticut and is home to the Little Theatre of Manchester. Nearby, the 1785 Cheney Homestead — the oldest of the family's surviving buildings — and a one-room Keeney Schoolhouse are run as a house museum by the Manchester Historical Society, which also keeps the Old Manchester Museum on Cedar Street with exhibits on the town's Podunk and dinosaur-fossil history.

Getting there

Manchester is a highway town about 10 miles east of Hartford, reached on I-84, I-291, I-384, US Routes 6 and 44 (the main east-west arterial) and Route 83 north-south. There is no passenger rail station in Manchester — "no passenger service currently exists in town," per the town's own transportation record — so rail travelers use Hartford Union Station, about 10 miles away on the CTrail Hartford Line and Amtrak, and finish the trip by CTtransit bus. CTtransit routes 80, 82, 83, 84, 85, 88 and 121 connect Manchester directly to Hartford.

Where to eat and stay

Shady Glen, founded June 12, 1948 by John and Bernice Rieg, is a James Beard "American Classic" for its fried-cheese "Bernice Original" burger, whose cheese is cooked until it forms crisp upturned corners at its original East Middle Turnpike location. Silk City Coffee roasts its own beans on downtown Main Street, and Urban Lodge Brewing Co. runs its original taproom on Purnell Place. For a place to stay, both the Residence Inn by Marriott and the Fairfield Inn & Suites cluster near I-84 in the Buckland/Pavilions Drive retail district.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get to Manchester?
By car via I-84, I-291, I-384, US Routes 6 and 44, or Route 83. There is no rail station in Manchester; the nearest is Hartford Union Station, about 10 miles away, reachable onward by CTtransit bus routes 80, 82, 83, 84, 85, 88 or 121.
Is there a train to Manchester?
No. Manchester has no passenger rail service of its own. The nearest station is Hartford Union Station, served by Amtrak and the CTrail Hartford Line.
What is Cheney Hall?
The Cheney family's social hall on Hartford Road, within the National Historic Landmark Cheney Brothers Historic District, billed as the oldest operating theater in Connecticut and home to the Little Theatre of Manchester.
What is Wickham Park?
A 280-acre former private estate, opened to the public in 1960 from the will of industrialist Clarence Horace Wickham, with an Olmsted Associates-designed layout, gardens and trails; its western section reaches into East Hartford. Manchester's own park site could not be reached to confirm current hours, admission or the exact street address — call ahead before visiting.
Is there a hotel in Manchester?
Yes — the Residence Inn by Marriott Hartford Manchester and the Fairfield Inn & Suites both sit near I-84 in the Buckland Hills retail area.

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