Bristol, CT
A HISTORY OF ROCKWELL PARK AND
THE ROCKWELLS
By: Gail Leach
Member of the Greater Bristol Historical Society Inc.
After a yellow fever epidemic in Jacksonville,
Florida in 1888, Albert F. Rockwell and his brother moved to Bristol. They were in search of a place to develop
their invention of a door bell operated by clock works. Their decision to move to Bristol was based on Bristol's
Nation-wide reputation as a clock-town. The Rockwell brothers began manufacturing their product from a room rented
in the Thompson Clock Factory. This one room factory run by the two brothers was called the New Departure Bell
Company. They soon expanded their product line to bells for other purposes. In 1890 they leased a brick building
east of North Main Street and continued to expand their product line. Their products included bicycle bells and
bivycle lamps. The patening of the New Departure coaster brake in 1898 created such a demand for coaster brakes
that the company had to limmit its products to two items only; coster brakes and bicycle lamps. The production
of coaster brakes soon reached 5,400 per day.
In 1901, the name of the company was changed to the New Departure Manufacturing Company. The rapid grouth of the
automobile industry created a great demand for ball bearings. Again Mr. Rockwell's inventive genius brought business
to his company. The Rockwell ball bearing became the preferred ball bearing of the better grade cars. In 1919 New
Departure became a part of General Moters Corporation. In 1929production of ball bearings reached 166,500 per day.
Albert Rockwell left as company president in 1913, after difficulties with his brother-in-law, DeWitt Page.
Albert and his wife, Nettie, resided at Brightwood Hall. Brightwood was built for Mrs. Helen Welch Atkins-Mckay
although she died before construction was completed. Brightwood was situated above West Street at an elevation
of 500 feet above sea level to secure freedom from the dust of the roads. The grounds were enclosed on the east
and north by massive granite walls liad in cement. The approch to the house was through two handsom gateways, one
at the south end and the other at the north east corner. A wood cottage existed on the grounds which was built
in 1888 and origionally served a a summer resort. Mrs. Atkins-McKay lived there while Brightwood was being constructed,
The granite for Brightwood was taken for the most paart from the ground on which the structure was built. To the
west of the cottage was a tea house and at the foof of the elevation on West Street was the Superintent's Lodeg,
which still stands.
In 1914, Albert Rockwell made a formal offer to the city of Bristol to convay 80 archers of heavily wooded land
on the condition that the city spend $15,000 to develop it as a park. Also the city had to agree to spend $3,000
anually for eight years for it'ds maintenance. The city accepted and received the deed for the property. Six years
later Rockwell added an aditional tract of 15 acres which became the Rockwell Park Playground.
"Mrs. Rockwell's Playground" opened its gates for the first time in 1917, and included some of the most
modern equipment for itd time. Although the Rockwell family donated many other sites to Bristol, the playground
was Mrs. Rockwell's first love and she continued to contrivute to it's upkeep during her lifetime.
Mrs. Rockwell died in 1938 but provided generously for the park and playground in her will. $122,000 was left to
the city for the upkeep of the playground and she also left an additional $790,000 to be placed in trust for the
park system. The trust is now estimated to have grown to nine million dollars
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