Mechanics Mill
Encyclopedia
Mechanics Mill is an historic cotton textile mill located at 1082 Davol Street in Fall River, Massachusetts
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The mill was constructed in 1868 from red brick, in the Italianate style. The mill's octagonal tower originally had a highly decorative top, that has been removed. The mill office was once located in front of the mill along Davol Street, but has also been removed.
The Mechanics Mill company was incorporated on May 25, 1868 by a special charter granted by the Massachusetts Legislature. Thomas J. Borden served as the first president and D.H. Dyer was treasurer. Along with the Merchants Mill established in 1867, the Mechanics Mill was formed by a large number of stock holders with small means, beginning a new trend in the development of new corporations in the city. There were initially 328 stockholders, compared to a dozen or so with other mills at the time.
The mill was constructed north of the city center, along the waterfront with a tidewater dock to receive coal shipments to feed its boilers. Water for the steam engines was obtained from a well shaft dug nearby. The Mechanics Mill was also one of the first in the city to have a fire sprinkler protection system.
In 1929 the Mechanics Mill merged with the nearby Weetamoe Mill, but was soon closed.
The mill was added to the National Historic Register in 1983.
It was recently part of Quaker Fabrics Corporation, which closed in 2007.
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...
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The mill was constructed in 1868 from red brick, in the Italianate style. The mill's octagonal tower originally had a highly decorative top, that has been removed. The mill office was once located in front of the mill along Davol Street, but has also been removed.
The Mechanics Mill company was incorporated on May 25, 1868 by a special charter granted by the Massachusetts Legislature. Thomas J. Borden served as the first president and D.H. Dyer was treasurer. Along with the Merchants Mill established in 1867, the Mechanics Mill was formed by a large number of stock holders with small means, beginning a new trend in the development of new corporations in the city. There were initially 328 stockholders, compared to a dozen or so with other mills at the time.
The mill was constructed north of the city center, along the waterfront with a tidewater dock to receive coal shipments to feed its boilers. Water for the steam engines was obtained from a well shaft dug nearby. The Mechanics Mill was also one of the first in the city to have a fire sprinkler protection system.
In 1929 the Mechanics Mill merged with the nearby Weetamoe Mill, but was soon closed.
The mill was added to the National Historic Register in 1983.
It was recently part of Quaker Fabrics Corporation, which closed in 2007.