Granite Mills are two historic textile mills located on Bedford Street in Fall River, Massachusetts

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...

, consisting of Granite Mill No. 2 and Granite Mill No. 3.

The Granite mills were organized in 1863 with William Mason as president and Charles O. Shove as treasurer. The original Mill No. 1 was built 1864, was destroyed by fire in 1874, and was it was rebuilt. At least thirty workers were killed in the disaster, and many more were injured. Workers on the upper floors faced a desperate choice, either jump five stories to the ground, or be burned to death. The tragic fire led to reforms in the design of future mill buildings, requiring multiple exits and fire escapes. Mill No. 1 was soon rebuilt, but was later demolished in 1961. It stood on the site of the former China Royal restaurant in Fall River, which today contains a bank and mixed retail shops.

Mill No. 2 was constructed in 1871 from native Fall River granite

Fall River granite

Fall River Granite is a Precambrian bedrock underlying the City of Fall River, Massachusetts and surrounding areas along the eastern shores of Narragansett Bay. It was formed 600 million years ago, as part of the Avalon terrane....

 in the Italianate style. In 1893, Mill No. 3 was built, also in granite, but with less ornamentation. Water for the steam-powered mills was drawn through a canal from 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....

.
The company also built nearly one hundred triple decker

Triple decker

A triple-decker is a three-story apartment building, typically of light-framed, wood construction, where each floor usually consists of a single apartment; although two apartments per floor is not uncommon....

 tenement houses nearby for the accommodation of its workers.

In 1932 the Granite Mills were acquired by the Pepperell Manufacturing Company, and continued to operate through World War II.

The site was determined elible for the National Historic Register in 1983, but omitted due to owner's objection.

Mill No. 2 was the site of Anderson-Little for many years, a maker of men's suits. The building is now occupied by various businesses.

Mill No. 3 was for many years occupied by Globe Manufacturing, which manufactured rubber-based goods, including Spandex

Spandex

Spandex or elastane is a synthetic fibre known for its exceptional elasticity. It is strong, but less durable than natural Latex, its major non-synthetic competitor. It is a polyurethane-polyurea copolymer that was co-invented in 1959 by chemists C. L. Sandquist and Joseph Shivers at DuPont's...

. On July 28, 2011 a smoldering fire start by a spark from a torch during remodeling of the building damaged some of the floor and caused about 10,000 dollars in damage

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Fall River, Massachusetts
• List of mills in Fall River, Massachusetts