The house at 286 Naubuc Avenue in Glastonbury is thought to date back to c. 1820, or perhaps even earlier. Its current architectural style is Greek Revival. In the 1850s, the house was the residence of Frederick Curtis, an industrialist. With his brother, Joseph S. Curtis, Frederick built a factory that was the first in the country to manufacture German Silver (also known as Nickel silver, it is made from an alloy of copper, zinc and nickel). It was first called F. Curtis & Company and, later, the Curtisville Manufacturing Company. In the 1860s, the house was the residence of Thomas J. Vail, who took control of the Curtis factory. He added the manufacture of firearms to the operations of the company, which was renamed the Connecticut Arms and Manufacturing Company. It eventually became the Williams Brothers Manufacturing Company.
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