Grand Forks Woolen Mills
Encyclopedia
Grand Forks Woolen Mills is a building located on the corner of Third Avenue North and North Third Street in Grand Forks, North Dakota
, designed by architect John W. Ross
. A three-story construction approximately 50 feet (15.2 m) by 100 feet (30.5 m) in size, it is recorded as being built in 1895. Constructed of brick, the architectural style has been described as Commercial vernacular.
The building, which is at the northern extremity of the historic commercial district, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1983.
, spinning
, weaving
, dyeing
and sewing. It also contained offices and retail space. A historical survey observed that the building was "the object of intense pride ... a local symbol of economic independence from Minnesota
, and the focus of Grand Forks' hopes of becoming a manufacturing center." The presence of the mill removed the necessity of shipping wool to Minneapolis for conversion and so enabled both a higher payment to be made to local farmers for their raw material and a lower charge made to consumers for the output.
The woolen business, which at one point employed 75 people, was a fairly short-lived venture. It ceased operations some time between 1901 and 1906 as it became impossible for it to compete with larger enterprises such as the North Star Woolen Mills in Minneapolis, its Grand Forks location being too distant both from sufficient supplies of raw wool and from consumer markets.
A single-story
extension was added on the northern aspect. In 1916 the building was gutted by fire. Following the fire, the one-story addition was destroyed. However, with the walls still standing, the main building was rebuilt using a fire-proof construction method in 1918 and at that point included a concrete floor. It was then used for many years as a garage for Hanson Ford.
Grand Forks, North Dakota
Grand Forks is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Grand Forks County. According to the 2010 census, the city's population was 52,838, while that of the city and surrounding metropolitan area was 98,461...
, designed by architect John W. Ross
John W. Ross (North Dakota architect)
John W. Ross was the first licensed architect in Grand Forks, North Dakota. He designed many buildings in eastern North Dakota, including the 1901 Gothic revival St...
. A three-story construction approximately 50 feet (15.2 m) by 100 feet (30.5 m) in size, it is recorded as being built in 1895. Constructed of brick, the architectural style has been described as Commercial vernacular.
The building, which is at the northern extremity of the historic commercial district, was 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...
in 1983.
History
The building was constructed at a cost of US$17,000 for a woolen mill business that had started to trade in 1892. It was sited on a 100 feet (30.5 m) x 140 feet (42.7 m) plot, which was a typical size of development area in Grand Forks at that time. It was used for various processes involved in the conversion of wool to cloth, including cardingCarding
Carding is a mechanical process that breaks up locks and unorganised clumps of fibre and then aligns the individual fibres so that they are more or less parallel with each other. The word is derived from the Latin carduus meaning teasel, as dried vegetable teasels were first used to comb the raw wool...
, spinning
Spinning (textiles)
Spinning is a major industry. It is part of the textile manufacturing process where three types of fibre are converted into yarn, then fabric, then textiles. The textiles are then fabricated into clothes or other artifacts. There are three industrial processes available to spin yarn, and a...
, weaving
Weaving
Weaving is a method of fabric production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. The other methods are knitting, lace making and felting. The longitudinal threads are called the warp and the lateral threads are the weft or filling...
, dyeing
Dyeing
Dyeing is the process of adding color to textile products like fibers, yarns, and fabrics. Dyeing is normally done in a special solution containing dyes and particular chemical material. After dyeing, dye molecules have uncut Chemical bond with fiber molecules. The temperature and time controlling...
and sewing. It also contained offices and retail space. A historical survey observed that the building was "the object of intense pride ... a local symbol of economic independence from Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, and the focus of Grand Forks' hopes of becoming a manufacturing center." The presence of the mill removed the necessity of shipping wool to Minneapolis for conversion and so enabled both a higher payment to be made to local farmers for their raw material and a lower charge made to consumers for the output.
The woolen business, which at one point employed 75 people, was a fairly short-lived venture. It ceased operations some time between 1901 and 1906 as it became impossible for it to compete with larger enterprises such as the North Star Woolen Mills in Minneapolis, its Grand Forks location being too distant both from sufficient supplies of raw wool and from consumer markets.
A single-story
Storey
A storey or story is any level part of a building that could be used by people...
extension was added on the northern aspect. In 1916 the building was gutted by fire. Following the fire, the one-story addition was destroyed. However, with the walls still standing, the main building was rebuilt using a fire-proof construction method in 1918 and at that point included a concrete floor. It was then used for many years as a garage for Hanson Ford.