The Hurwood Company complex is located north of the village center of
Plantsville, on the east side of Summer Street near its junction with Cowles Street. It is separated from Summer Street by the
Farmington Canal Heritage Trail, a former railroad right-of-way. Set on over of land is a complex of more than a dozen interconnected structures. Set perpendicular to the street are two brick buildings, the left one two stories in height and the right one one story tall. Attached to the left one at a right angle to its rear corner is a large steel forge shed with a
monitor roof. Each of these buildings is encrusted with small buildings, and they are joined near the rear by a more modern structure. The oldest buildings of this complex, the two brick buildings, were standing here by 1885, and were probably built by the Connecticut Motor Company, a maker of
electric motors. In 1901, George Wood and John Hurley began production of solid-headed screwdrivers here; their company was purchased by
Stanley Tools in 1905, continuing operations in the left brick building to make screwdrivers and
chisels through the first half of the 20th century. The large forge building was added about 1915. The right brick building became part of Thompson Drop Forge, another local manufacturer. Industrial facilities of this type once dotted Southington's landscape, and are now becoming increasingly rare. ==See also==