the crystal lake falls historic district covers several blocks of barton village, located at northwest corner of crystal lake. it extends roughly along water street from church to main street, along main from water to duck pond road, and along west street from cemetery road to main street. the latter areas is known colloquially as the "brick kingdom", and runs roughly parallel to willoughby brook, the outflow from crystal lake, which drops about in a series of falls. the earliest documented industrial activity on the falls began in the 1790s, with asa kimball starting a sawmill in 1798 and a gristmill in 1807 on the upper falls. during the 19th century, factories clustered along water street, with a variety of manufacturing activities. businesses located here manufactured piano works, furniture, ladies cotton lingerie and baseball bats. these mostly closed by the 1940s, with the last leaving in 1952. the mills employed about 300 workers.