The Alfred Colony House was built as the Mill Superintendent’s House, either by or for the Cheshire Mills during a major period of expansion that resulted in the construction of Cheshire Mill #2 (1859), the Cheshire Mills Company Boarding House (1851), smaller scale brick cottages at 5 School Street & 8 School (1853-1860), and a storehouse known as The Temple (1850-1860). The house’s scale and brick construction reflect the higher status of its intended occupants, as the cost of brick construction was approximately 15% higher than that of wood, a factor documented in 1850 when two cost estimates were made for the construction of the Cheshire Mills Company Boarding House (a two and one-half storey building 73’ long and 36’ wide); construction in wood was estimated at $2,211.95 while the cost of building the same structure in brick was estimated to be $2,538.47. The house’s date of construction has not been precisely established, but its range has been determined by its appearance on local maps between 1853 and 1863, and by its architectural style, which matches other buildings constructed during this period of expansion. The house belonged to Alfred Colony (1828-1876), a member of the family that acquired the Cheshire Mills in 1850. Surviving company records have not been researched, but may contain more detailed information about the building’s construction and original use.