List of mills in New Bedford, Massachusetts

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The city of New Bedford, Massachusetts once had about 70 textile mills, operated by 28 establishments with over 3.7 million spindles at its peak around 1920, and was among the leading cotton textile centers in the United States during the early 20th century. There are currently about 18 mills left in the city. [1]

Contents

Existing mills

Ref#Name# MillsImageBuiltLocationSpindles [2] Looms [3] Notes/current use
1Booth Manufacturing Company2 Booth MFG Co.jpg 1910East Rodney French Ave50,0001,300
2Butler Mills2 Butler Mills.jpg 1902Ruth Street95,0002,100Abandoned to the City in 1935 for back taxes; Mill No 1 razed
3Dartmouth Manufacturing Company3 Dartmouth Mill.jpg 1895Cove Street200,0005,700one mill demolished
4Grinnell Manufacturing Company1 Grinnell Mills.jpg 1882Kilburn Street126,0003,135Part of property sold to Revere Copper and Brass Co.
5 Hathaway Manufacturing Company 4 Hathaway Mills.jpg 188846-92 Harbor St [4] 108,0003,400Later part of Berkshire-Hathaway
6Holmes Manufacturing Company1 Holmes Mill.jpg 1909East Rodney French Ave69,500Sold to Kendall Corporation in 1934; [5]
7Howland Mill2 Howland Mill.jpg 1888Orchard Street82,0003,250Mill No. 2 built in 1892, reincorporated as Gosnold Mills Company in 1902
8Kilburn Mills2 Kilburn Mill.jpg 1904Rodney French Boulevard126,000Enlarged in 1915; as of 2015, rented out to various private businesses such as an antique store, a used record store, a vintage clothing shop, and artists' studios/galleries.
9Lambeth Rope Company1 Lambeth Rope.jpg Tarkiln Hill Road
10 Manomet Mills 4 Manomet Mill 1.jpg 1903Riverside Avenue203,020Mill No. 2 added 1908. Mills No. 1 and 2 sold to Delaware Rayon Company in 1928; Mill No. 3 added 1916, sold to Nashawena in 1925; Mill No. 4 added in 1922, located on King Street, was the largest spinning mill in the world. It never operated at full capacity and was sold to Firestone Rubber Co. in 1927
11Nashawena Mills2 Nashawena Mills.jpg 1909Belleville Avenue145,0003,324Additions built in 1916 and 1922; plant's weave shed the largest in the world [6]
12National Spun Silk Company1 National Spun Silk Co.jpg Brook Street
13Neild Manufacturing Corp.2 Neild MFG Co Mill.jpg 1910Nash Road62,600 [7] 1,600 [8] Weave shed added in 1925
14Nonquitt Spinning Company3 Nonquitt Mills 1.jpg 1906Belleville Avenue150,000
15Pierce Brothers LTD.2 Pierce Brothers Limited.jpg 1909Sawyer Street50,0001,200
16Taber Mill, Inc.2 Taber Mill Apts.jpg 190670,720
17 Wamsutta Mills 7 Wamsutta Mills NB.jpg 1846Acushnet Ave229,0004,310Expanded in 1855, 1865, and 1870; Mills No. 1, 2 and 3 have been razed; Mills 4 and 5 converted into apartments; Mills 6 and 7 and weave shed contain various tenants
18 Whitman Mills 3 Whitman Mills NB.jpg 1895Coffin Ave175,0884,932Weave shed demolished in 1934; converted into apartments

Non-extant mills

Ref#Name# MillsImageBuiltDestroyedLocationSpindles [9] Looms [10] Notes
1Acushnet Mill Corp.218831931Dalano St105,0003,500Second mill built in 1887; demolished in 1931
2Anderson Textile MFG Co.119092,400Company dissolved in 1911
3Beacon Manufacturing Co.11896Purchase St
4Bennett Manufacturing Corp.21891Coggeshall St12,0001,000Two mills; became part of New England Cotton Yarn Company in 1899; later part of Fairhaven Mills in 1917
5Bristol Manufacturing Co.218931933198 Coggeshall St67,000Demolished in 1933
6City Manufacturing Corp.21888Grinnell St58,000
7Columbia Spinning Co.2 Columbia Spinning Company.jpg 18922009Coggeshall St80,000Two mills; became part of New England Cotton Yarn Company in 1899; later part of Fairhaven Mills in 1917; Demolished in 2009 to make way for a shopping plaza. [11]
8New Bedford Cordage Co.1Ash / Emerson
9New Bedford Cotton Mills Corp.21909Coffin / Church Street80,000
10New England Cotton Yarn Co.1Coggeshall StAdditional mill built after 1899 as part of former Bennett-Columbia complex acquisition. Sold to Fairhaven Mills in 1917
11New Bedford Manufacturing Co.21882North / Water40,000Reorganized as New Bedford Spinning Co. in 1897; became part of New England Cotton Yarn Co. in 1899; Sold to Passaic Cotton Mills in 1917; later American Cotton Fabric Corporation;
12New Bedford Steam Co.11846Hillman Street7,500First textile mill in New Bedford. Not successful. Closed in 1852.
13Page Manufacturing Co.21906Orchard / Cove64,0001,740
14Pierce Manufacturing Corp.21892Belleville Ave64,4703,600
15Potomska Mills218731935Potomska St123,5003,018Second mill added in 1877; demolished in 1935
16Quissett Mill11912Prospect St80,000
17Rotch Mills21892Orchard Street100,000Became part of New England Cotton Yarns in 1899; Sold to Passaic Cotton Mills in 1916 which constructed addition known as Penrod Mill with 30,000 spindles; plant sold to Goodyear and Fisk Rubber Companies in 1924.
18Sharp Manufacturing Co.219101937Dartmouth St200,0001,000Mill No. 2 completed in 1917; Purchased by Rockdale Mills, Inc. in 1937 and razed. Warehouse remains.
19Soule Mill21901Sawyer St92,6402,300


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References

  1. The Story of Cotton and Its Manufacture into Cloth in New Bedford, 1937
  2. 1917 Textile Directory
  3. 1917 Textile Directory
  4. "City of New Bedford Historic Mill Inventory 2008" (PDF). City of New Bedford. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 January 2012. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
  5. The Story of Cotton and Its Manufacture into Cloth in New Bedford, 1937
  6. The Story of Cotton and Its Manufacture into Cloth in New Bedford, 1937
  7. 1937 report
  8. 1937 report
  9. 1917 Textile Directory
  10. 1917 Textile Directory
  11. South Coast Today, June 16, 2009