Baltic, Connecticut
Baltic is the town center village of the town of Sprague, Connecticut, United States, and a census-designated place. The population of the CDP was 1,250 as of the 2010 census. The Sprague town hall is in Baltic. The Baltic Historic District is a historic district that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987, encompassing virtually the entire extent of the village.
History
Baltic was formed around a cotton mill established on the Shetucket River on land purchased in 1856 by former Rhode Island Governor and Senator William Sprague III. The A. & W. Sprague Manufacturing Co. mill burned down in 1887, and Frederick Sayles of Pawtucket, Rhode Island purchased the site. He built the Baltic Mills Co. cotton mill which opened in 1899. The company operated until 1963, when the mill was sold to a syndicate from New York. The mill continued operating until 1967, when it was closed and the property and equipment were sold. In 1970, the property was sold to the Casper Division of Bevis Industries, which used it for a mail order operation.The historic district includes 210 contributing structures over a area.
In August 1999, the remains of the mill were destroyed by fire. There was only one building that survived, although it was also critically damaged. The fire was set by three local boys. The mill suffered another fire on April 23, 2018. Fire officials said that hot sparks hit debris from citing pipes, likely sparking the flames of the fire.