Whitman Mills

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Whitman Mills
Whitman Mills NB.jpg
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Location New Bedford, Massachusetts
Coordinates 41°39′45″N70°55′10″W / 41.66250°N 70.91944°W / 41.66250; -70.91944 Coordinates: 41°39′45″N70°55′10″W / 41.66250°N 70.91944°W / 41.66250; -70.91944
Area 15.88 acres (6.43 ha)
Built 1896
Architect C. R. Makepeace & Company
NRHP reference # 03000844 [1]
Added to NRHP August 29, 2003

The Whitman Mills are a historic mill complex on the banks of the Acushnet River north of central New Bedford, Massachusetts. The mill yard is bounded by Riverside Street, Manomnet Street, Coffin Street, and the river. It is just one of a group of mill complexes developed by William Whitman in the area around the turn of the 20th century. This particular grouping, including two large mills, an office, and several outbuildings, was built between 1896 and 1917, with most of those original buildings still standing. The mills operated until 1932, when the Whitman Company went bankrupt. The complex was nearly demolished in the 1950s, but has since been subdivided and occupied by a succession of smaller businesses. [2]

Acushnet River river in the United States of America

The Acushnet River is the largest river, 8.6 miles (13.8 km) long, flowing into Buzzards Bay in southeastern Massachusetts, in the United States. The name "Acushnet" comes from the Wampanoag or Algonquian word, "Cushnea", meaning "as far as the waters", a word that was used by the original owners of the land in describing the extent of the parcel they intended to sell to the English settlers from the nearby Plimouth colony. Quite naturally, the English mistook "Cushnea" for a fixed placename or the name of a specific river.

New Bedford, Massachusetts City in Massachusetts, United States

New Bedford is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 95,072, making it the sixth-largest city in Massachusetts. New Bedford is nicknamed "The Whaling City" because during the 19th century, the city was one of the most important whaling ports in the world, along with Nantucket, Massachusetts and New London, Connecticut. The city, along with Fall River and Taunton, make up the three largest cities in the South Coast region of Massachusetts and is known for its fishing fleet and accompanying seafood producing industries as well as having a high concentration of Luso Americans.

Renovations at the historic Victoria Riverside mill are now complete and tenants began occupying units in the winter of 2011. Because of the 18’ ceilings, the architect has created a unique design with living space on two floors within the unit with a balcony on the second floor overlooking open space on the first floor. Traditional loft units are also available with living space on one floor. Of the 101 units, traditional loft units are also available with living space on one floor. New Bedford has teamed with Community Rowing of Boston to bring rowing to the Acushnet River. The plan is to create a top level rowing course on the river with amenities such as a boathouse, launch deck and observation areas. Victoria Riverside will overlook the course.

The mill complex was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003. [1]

National Register of Historic Places federal list of historic sites in the United States

The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance. A property listed in the National Register, or located within a National Register Historic District, may qualify for tax incentives derived from the total value of expenses incurred preserving the property.

See also

Wamsutta Mills Textile manufacturing company

Wamsutta Mills was a textile manufacturing company located in New Bedford, Massachusetts, a port which was known as a center of the whaling industry. The company was named after Wamsutta, the son of a Native American chief who negotiated an early alliance with the English settlers of the Plymouth Colony in the 17th century. Wamsutta Company's textile mill was founded by Thomas Bennett, Jr. on the banks of the Acushnet River in 1846 and opened in 1848. It was the first of many textile mills that gradually came to overtake whaling as the principal employer in New Bedford. Other mills in the area soon sprang up. By the 1870s, cotton textile manufacture was more important to the local economy than whaling. Wamsutta Mills became well known for producing fine quality shirtings, sheetings and other fine cotton products. The Wamsutta brand continues to this day.

List of Registered Historic Places in New Bedford, Massachusetts.

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Head of the River Historic District

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Manomet Mills

The Manomet Mills are a historic textile mill complex on the north side of New Bedford, Massachusetts. They are located between Riverside Avenue and the Acushnet River, north of Manoment Street and the Whitman Mills. The complex consists of three Classical Revival brick buildings, built between 1903 and 1907. The main building, Mill No. 1, is a 54-bay three story structure that was built in 1903. It is attached to Mill No. 2 (1907), of similar size, by a single story brick structure. The third building is the Mill No. 2 Department Room (1907), a two-story brick building that was originally connected to the other two via overhead bridges, now removed. The mill complex was the main operating site of the Manoment Mill Company, which produced cotton yarn until about 1928. The buildings were sold in that year to the Delaware Rayon Company, which went bankrupt in 1954. Mill No. 2 was then used by the Acushnet Process Company for the manufacture of golf balls, while Mill No. 1 continued to be used for rayon production, a chemically intensive and environmentally hazardous process.

References

  1. 1 2 National Park Service (2008-04-15). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service.
  2. "NRHP nomination for Whitman Mills". Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved 2014-06-17.

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