1886 Mine Falls Gatehouse
Encyclopedia
The Mine Falls Gatehouse is a dam gatehouse
in Mine Falls Park
in Nashua, New Hampshire
. It was built in 1886 by the Nashua Manufacturing Company
to regulate water flow from the mill yard. The company relied on waterflow to provide power
to its mill. In 1987 the gatehouse was included in the Nashua Manufacturing Company Historic District and listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
and to trade near the Nashua River
. Three miles from where the company's mills were being built, a dam
was constructed at Mine Falls. A power canal was hand-dug under the supervision of James Baldwin. His idea was to change the course of the water from the river, through the guard gates, and into the canal
. By the time the water reached the mills, it had enough velocity to turn the waterwheels under the building.
The gatehouse was constructed in 1886 during the presidency of Grover Cleveland
. At the time it was a state-of-the-art improvement over the smaller gates that once occupied the canal. A Lowell, Massachusetts
contractor, L.F. Kittrege, hired men to build five new lift gates that would be protected by the brick walls of the gatehouse.
The gatehouse, along with the dam and canal, is a part of the Nashua Manufacturing Company Historic District; they are listed in the National Register of Historic Places
. The gatehouse was built for practicality, not architectural refinement. Its interior contains the machinery that reflects the transition from hydro power to electric power.
of the 1930s, construction of new commercial buildings came to a stop as the economy declined. With changing manufacturing practices, many textile companies in New England closed or relocated to the South
, where non-union workers could be hired for less money. Nashua Manufacturing Company did not move, and finally closed in 1948.
Gatehouse (waterworks)
A gatehouse, gate house, or valve house for a dam is a structure housing sluice gates, valves, or pumps . Many gatehouses are strictly utilitarian, but especially in the nineteenth century, some were very elaborate....
in Mine Falls Park
Mine Falls Park
Mine Falls Park is a park in the city of Nashua, New Hampshire. Located in the heart of the city, it was purchased in 1969 from the Nashua, New Hampshire Foundation with city and federal Land and Water Conservation Fund money...
in Nashua, New Hampshire
Nashua, New Hampshire
-Climate:-Demographics:As of the census of 2010, there were 86,494 people, 35,044 households, and 21,876 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,719.9 people per square mile . There were 37,168 housing units at an average density of 1,202.8 per square mile...
. It was built in 1886 by the Nashua Manufacturing Company
Nashua Manufacturing Company
The Nashua Manufacturing Company was a cotton textile manufacturer in Nashua, New Hampshire that operated from 1823 to 1945.It was one of several textile companies that helped create Nashua, one of several cities that blossomed along the Merrimack River to take advantage of water power in the early...
to regulate water flow from the mill yard. The company relied on waterflow to provide power
Hydropower
Hydropower, hydraulic power, hydrokinetic power or water power is power that is derived from the force or energy of falling water, which may be harnessed for useful purposes. Since ancient times, hydropower has been used for irrigation and the operation of various mechanical devices, such as...
to its mill. In 1987 the gatehouse was included in the Nashua Manufacturing Company Historic District and listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
Origin
The Nashua Manufacturing Company received a charter in the 1820s to make clothTextile
A textile or cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands...
and to trade near the Nashua River
Nashua River
The Nashua River, long, is a tributary of the Merrimack River in Massachusetts and New Hampshire in the United States. It is formed in eastern Worcester County, Massachusetts, by junction of its north and south branches near Lancaster, and flows generally north-northeast past Groton to join the...
. Three miles from where the company's mills were being built, a dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
was constructed at Mine Falls. A power canal was hand-dug under the supervision of James Baldwin. His idea was to change the course of the water from the river, through the guard gates, and into the canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
. By the time the water reached the mills, it had enough velocity to turn the waterwheels under the building.
The gatehouse was constructed in 1886 during the presidency of Grover Cleveland
Grover Cleveland
Stephen Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. Cleveland is the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms and therefore is the only individual to be counted twice in the numbering of the presidents...
. At the time it was a state-of-the-art improvement over the smaller gates that once occupied the canal. A Lowell, Massachusetts
Lowell, Massachusetts
Lowell is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. According to the 2010 census, the city's population was 106,519. It is the fourth largest city in the state. Lowell and Cambridge are the county seats of Middlesex County...
contractor, L.F. Kittrege, hired men to build five new lift gates that would be protected by the brick walls of the gatehouse.
The gatehouse, along with the dam and canal, is a part of the Nashua Manufacturing Company Historic District; they are listed in the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. The gatehouse was built for practicality, not architectural refinement. Its interior contains the machinery that reflects the transition from hydro power to electric power.
Decline
During the Great DepressionGreat Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
of the 1930s, construction of new commercial buildings came to a stop as the economy declined. With changing manufacturing practices, many textile companies in New England closed or relocated to the South
The South
-Geography:* Southern United States* South of England* South of France* South Italy* South Korea* Republic of Ireland* South Province * Global South, the developing nations of the world-Other uses:* The South , by Victor Erice...
, where non-union workers could be hired for less money. Nashua Manufacturing Company did not move, and finally closed in 1948.