American Printing Co. and Metacomet Mill
Encyclopedia
The Metacomet Mill, built in 1847 by Colonel Richard Borden for the manufacture of cotton textiles, is the oldest remaining textile mill in Fall River, Massachusetts
.
The adjacent American Printing Company Mill No. 7 (also known as Fall River Iron Works Mill No.7) was constructed in 1906 for the production of cotton print cloth.
Both structures were added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1983, and today contain a variety of small businesses.
The site was also photographed and surveyed by Jack E. Boucher
in 1968, as part of the Historic American Buildings Survey
.
The Metacomet Mill was originally constructed in 1847 by Colonel Richard Borden, a prominent local industrialist who had begun the Fall River Iron Works in 1821. The plans for the mill were brought from Bolton, England by Major Durfee and William Davol, and it was considered a "model mill" for its time. The mill was constructed of native field stones over the stream of the falling Quequechan River
, which powered the machinery of the early mill. It originally had a gable roof and was five and one-half stories tall. The Metacomet Mill is also significant in that it was the first recorded use of cast iron
girders and beams for mill construction in the United States
. The cast iron beams and girders were an improvement on timber supports, which tended to become soft over time, resulting in a slight sagging in the floors, and upsetting the operation of machinery.
The Metacomet Mill was substantially enlarged later in the 19th century, and a steam engine was added to supplement the power of the falls. It later became known as "Iron Works" Mill No.6.
The American Printing Company Mill No.7, constructed of red brick in 1906, just upstream from the Metacomet Mill, on the site of the former Anawan Mill, also originally built by Colonel Richard Borden in 1825. Mill No. 7 was the last expansion of the American Printing Company, once the largest employer in Fall River
during the height of its cotton textile industry. It is also known as "Iron Works" Mill No.7, as this was the name of the cloth-producing division of the same company; a tribute to the company's roots in 1821. Mill No.7 featured a Gothic-style engine house, which can still be seen today, along Anawan Street.
Metacomet Mill and American Printing Company Mill Number 7 are the only two mills existing over the falls of the Quequechan River
, which once had several mills in the steep stretch between downtown and the waterfront.
During the 1960s the mill complex was completely surrounded by the construction of Interstate 195
and the approach ramps to the Braga Bridge. Today, it is still possible to view the falls of the Quequechan River
, for which the City of Fall River was named. Two small dams, on either side of the Number 7 mill "daylight" into small pools before flowing under the mills. The rest of the river was diverted into underground channels in the 1960s with the highway construction.
The Quequechan River
"daylights" at the far end of the parking lot for the Metacomet Mill, beneath the Braga Bridge, adjacent to the railroad tracks.
The two historic mills currently contain a variety of small businesses, including the W.O.W. fitness center, and others. One of the site's two historic brick smokestacks contains a sign advertising the fitness center, while the other contains mobile telephone transmission equipment.
Due of the highway construction, the site remains a rather isolated pocket between downtown and the waterfront.
Fall River, Massachusetts
Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It is located about south of Boston, southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and west of New Bedford and south of Taunton. The city's population was 88,857 during the 2010 census, making it the tenth largest city in...
.
The adjacent American Printing Company Mill No. 7 (also known as Fall River Iron Works Mill No.7) was constructed in 1906 for the production of cotton print cloth.
Both structures were added to 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...
in 1983, and today contain a variety of small businesses.
The site was also photographed and surveyed by Jack E. Boucher
Jack E. Boucher
Jack E. Boucher is an American photographer. He began working for the National Park Service in 1958 and continued working there until at least 2006, 48 years later, serving as the Chief Photographer for the Historic American Buildings Survey...
in 1968, as part of the Historic American Buildings Survey
Historic American Buildings Survey
The Historic American Buildings Survey , Historic American Engineering Record , and Historic American Landscapes Survey are programs of the National Park Service established for the purpose of documenting historic places. Records consists of measured drawings, archival photographs, and written...
.
Historical background
Quequechan River
The Quequechan River , is a river in Fall River, Massachusetts that flows in a northwesterly direction from the South Watuppa Pond to the Taunton River. The word Quequechan means "falling water" in Wampanoag, hence the city's name....
, which powered the machinery of the early mill. It originally had a gable roof and was five and one-half stories tall. The Metacomet Mill is also significant in that it was the first recorded use of cast iron
Cast iron
Cast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...
girders and beams for mill construction in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The cast iron beams and girders were an improvement on timber supports, which tended to become soft over time, resulting in a slight sagging in the floors, and upsetting the operation of machinery.
The Metacomet Mill was substantially enlarged later in the 19th century, and a steam engine was added to supplement the power of the falls. It later became known as "Iron Works" Mill No.6.
The American Printing Company Mill No.7, constructed of red brick in 1906, just upstream from the Metacomet Mill, on the site of the former Anawan Mill, also originally built by Colonel Richard Borden in 1825. Mill No. 7 was the last expansion of the American Printing Company, once the largest employer in Fall River
Fall River
-Cities and towns:In Canada:*Fall River, Nova ScotiaIn the United States:*Fall River, Kansas*Fall River, Massachusetts, the largest city with this name*Fall River, Tennessee*Fall River, Wisconsin*Fall River County, South Dakota-Rivers:In Canada:...
during the height of its cotton textile industry. It is also known as "Iron Works" Mill No.7, as this was the name of the cloth-producing division of the same company; a tribute to the company's roots in 1821. Mill No.7 featured a Gothic-style engine house, which can still be seen today, along Anawan Street.
The Site Today
Quequechan River
The Quequechan River , is a river in Fall River, Massachusetts that flows in a northwesterly direction from the South Watuppa Pond to the Taunton River. The word Quequechan means "falling water" in Wampanoag, hence the city's name....
, which once had several mills in the steep stretch between downtown and the waterfront.
During the 1960s the mill complex was completely surrounded by the construction of Interstate 195
Interstate 195 (Rhode Island-Massachusetts)
Interstate 195 is an Interstate Highway running a combined 40.1 miles in the U.S. states of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. It travels from a junction with Interstate 95 in Providence, Rhode Island east to a junction with Interstate 495 and Route 25 in Wareham, Massachusetts...
and the approach ramps to the Braga Bridge. Today, it is still possible to view the falls of the Quequechan River
Quequechan River
The Quequechan River , is a river in Fall River, Massachusetts that flows in a northwesterly direction from the South Watuppa Pond to the Taunton River. The word Quequechan means "falling water" in Wampanoag, hence the city's name....
, for which the City of Fall River was named. Two small dams, on either side of the Number 7 mill "daylight" into small pools before flowing under the mills. The rest of the river was diverted into underground channels in the 1960s with the highway construction.
The Quequechan River
Quequechan River
The Quequechan River , is a river in Fall River, Massachusetts that flows in a northwesterly direction from the South Watuppa Pond to the Taunton River. The word Quequechan means "falling water" in Wampanoag, hence the city's name....
"daylights" at the far end of the parking lot for the Metacomet Mill, beneath the Braga Bridge, adjacent to the railroad tracks.
The two historic mills currently contain a variety of small businesses, including the W.O.W. fitness center, and others. One of the site's two historic brick smokestacks contains a sign advertising the fitness center, while the other contains mobile telephone transmission equipment.
Due of the highway construction, the site remains a rather isolated pocket between downtown and the waterfront.
See also
- American Printing Company
- History of Fall River, MassachusettsHistory of Fall River, MassachusettsFor much of its history, the city of Fall River, Massachusetts has been defined by the rise and fall of its cotton textile industry. From its beginnings as a rural outpost of the Plymouth Colony, the city grew to become the largest textile producing center in the United States during the 19th...
- Quequechan RiverQuequechan RiverThe Quequechan River , is a river in Fall River, Massachusetts that flows in a northwesterly direction from the South Watuppa Pond to the Taunton River. The word Quequechan means "falling water" in Wampanoag, hence the city's name....
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Fall River, Massachusetts
- List of mills in Fall River, Massachusetts