SPRINGFIELD, Vt. – The Parks & Woolson building, located at 33 Park Street in Springfield, Vt., was originally constructed in 1826 as a three-story, gable-roofed, wood-framed building, housing a manufacturer of textile finishing equipment. Additions to the structure along the Black River were made in 1877, 1910, and 1914.
The Parks & Woolson building is one of the oldest existing manufacturing plants, and was one of the last major mills to remain operational in Springfield. It ceased production in 2003. The building has since fallen into disrepair and the property is currently designated as a brownfield, a site contaminated due to past industrial use.
The Springfield Regional Development Corporation acquired the property in 2023, utilizing funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, signed into law by President Biden in November of 2021.
The historic legislation generated a substantial investment in America’s infrastructure by funding expanded access to clean drinking water, high-speed internet, and the repair of aging roads and bridges, and by investing in the elimination of polluted brownfield sites. Towns like Springfield can then reclaim these locations and repurpose them for use by the town.
Thanks to a joint effort between the Springfield Regional Development Corporation and the Mount Ascutney Regional Commission, an environmental assessment has been ongoing at the historic site. To date, many barrels of oil and chemicals have been removed, and a corrective action plan is being drafted.
For more information on the activities and progress at the site, email Cindy at cingersoll@marcvt.org.