Historic mills are as much a part of southeastern Connecticut’s architectural landscape as are Colonial-era houses and generously sized barns. The mills dominate many villages and riverbanks, standing as industrial revolution sentinels even decades after the cacophony of machinery within went silent.

Unfortunately, these reminders that Connecticut played an important role in the country’s manufacturing history now are largely empty and in a variety of states of disrepair. Too often they also are the targets of urban explorers, vandals and arsonists. Their dilapidated states and the environmental hazards contained both in the buildings and on the grounds surrounding them jeopardize their neighbors.

In his Inaugural Address, President Trump dramatically referenced these "rusted-out factories scattered like tombstones across the landscape of our nation."

Despite imposing obstacles to redevelopment, many of these architectural beauties are being given new life by innovative and tenacious developers and often with the assistance of public and private grants to help with hazardous materials cleanup and financing. We think this creative repurposing is an accomplishment deserving of both attention and praise and the region is fortunate to have numerous examples of such successful mill rehabilitation projects.

Some mills, such as the gigantic Ponemah Mills complex in the Taftville section of Norwich and the former American Thread Company mill in lower Pawcatuck, are being repurposed as residential housing units. Just the imposing size of the former Taftville mill – it was said to be the largest cotton mill in the United States when it opened in the post-Civil War era – makes the rehabilitation project there a gargantuan task. Many Norwich officials hope the project will mean a renaissance for the struggling working-class village.

Mills also are being brought back to life for other important purposes. The former Slater Mill in Jewett City, for example, packs in bargain hunters each weekend for its popular flea market. The former Rossi velvet mill now houses many of Mystic Seaport Museum’s historic artifacts, along with its archives and research library.

The transformation of Stonington Borough’s former Wimpfheimer velvet mill began some 17 years ago. The sprawling brick complex now is alive with artist studios, craft shops, a bakery and a local cheese shop. It also is the site of a thriving micro-brewery and the very popular winter farm market. To round out the mill’s businesses, a wine bar and bistro opened there just before Christmas.

While much is new at the Stonington Velvet Mill, the building’s manufacturing history is not forgotten. In one of the mill’s main entry halls, a large display, complete with a velvet dress on a dressmaker’s mannequin, tells the building’s story.

For every mill rehabilitation success, however, plenty of forlorn and dilapidated mills remain. Even a short drive along the Pawcatuck, Thames, Quinebaug or Shetucket rivers reveals numerous remnants of the region’s once thriving industrial past.

These edifices are a relic of the industrial revolution, when large spaces were necessary to accommodate the massive production lines and armies of mill workers that staffed them, churning out textiles and other products. In time, production moved to southern states with lower labor, heating and power costs. Then it moved to other countries.

Local officials have a responsibility to find a way to clean up these properties, ensuring they are secured and safe. Beyond basic cleanup, officials also should make it a priority to find developers with the right combination of vision and persistence to rejuvenate these industrial jewels.

Given the sentiments expressed by the president at his inaugural, we would welcome the Trump administration and the Republican Congress he will with work becoming active partners, along with the state, to help provide the matching grants that are often necessary to clean up these properties and use them in new ways. Such an effort would fit in well with the major infrastructure investment Trump says the nation needs to undertake.

The many beautiful examples of successful mill makeovers are evidence revitalization is not impossible. Replacing these tombstones with gemstones is worth the effort.