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Sterling, Connecticut: A Dye House and the Birthplace of Dow Jones

Sterling, Connecticut

Sterling Hill Historic District
— Magicpiano, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Sterling was the northern section of Voluntown until it separated and obtained town privileges from the Connecticut Assembly in May 1794. The town was named for Dr. John Sterling, a local resident who pledged to give the town a library in return for the honor but never fulfilled the promise — the community later built its library through private fundraising. Sterling's first mill opened in 1800 on the Quandock River, and the Pike family ran the town's dye works for roughly 100 years beginning in 1811, when William Pike pioneered chlorine bleaching of fabric. Dow Jones co-founder Charles Dow was born in Sterling in 1851 into a farming family. The Comte de Rochambeau's French army marched through and camped in Sterling in 1781, en route to join Washington's forces.

Getting there

Sterling is reached entirely by car: take I-395 to Exit 32 in the Moosup section of Plainfield and head east on Route 14, or east on Route 14A (Plainfield Pike) through Oneco. Route 14 continues into Rhode Island as Rhode Island Route 14. There is no passenger rail service in Sterling or anywhere in Windham County; the railbed that carried the New Haven Railroad through town from 1898 to 1968 is now the Moosup Valley State Park Trail. The nearest CTrail and Amtrak platforms are well to the south and west.

Rochambeau's route and a dye house dynasty

The Sterling Hill Historic District, listed on the National Register in 1986, preserves 15 principal structures on a ridge that straddles the Plainfield-Sterling line, including the Dorrance Homestead (c. 1716) and the Gallup Homestead, or Dorrance Inn (c. 1732). Rochambeau's French army camped here in 1781 on the march to join Washington. The Pike family ran Sterling's dye works for a century starting in 1811, when William Pike pioneered chlorine bleaching of fabric; his son James later developed a permanent fast-black dye process.

What's here

Questions

How do I get to Sterling?

By car — take I-395 to Exit 32 in Moosup (Plainfield) and head east on Route 14 or Route 14A. There is no passenger rail service anywhere in Windham County.

What is the Sterling Hill Historic District?

A ridge-top village straddling the Plainfield-Sterling line, listed on the National Register in 1986, with 15 principal structures including 18th-century houses and the Greek Revival Sterling Hill Baptist Church. The houses are private residences, viewable from the road.

Is there a restaurant in Sterling?

Weidele's Pizza & Pub on Main Street serves pizza, wings and fried seafood; call ahead to confirm current hours.

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Shared history

Same region