A loom is a device used to weave cloth and tapestry. The basic purpose of any loom is to hold the warp threads under tension to facilitate the interweaving of the weft threads. The precise shape of the loom and its mechanics may vary, but the basic function is the same.
Weaving is a method of textile production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. Other methods are knitting, crocheting, felting, and braiding or plaiting. The longitudinal threads are called the warp and the lateral threads are the weft or filling. The method in which these threads are inter-woven affects the characteristics of the cloth. Cloth is usually woven on a loom, a device that holds the warp threads in place while filling threads are woven through them. A fabric band which meets this definition of cloth can also be made using other methods, including tablet weaving, back strap loom, or other techniques without looms.
Textile manufacturing is a major industry. It is based on the conversion of fibre into yarn, yarn into fabric. These are then dyed or printed, fabricated into clothes. Different types of fibres are used to produce yarn. Cotton remains the most important natural fibre, so is treated in depth. There are many variable processes available at the spinning and fabric-forming stages coupled with the complexities of the finishing and colouration processes to the production of a wide range of products.
This is a list of properties and districts listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Rhode Island. As of May 29, 2015, there are more than 750 listed sites in Rhode Island. All 5 of the counties in Rhode Island have listings on the National Register.
Ironstone is an historic village,, in the township of Uxbridge, Massachusetts, United States. It derived its name from plentiful bog iron found here which helped Uxbridge to become a center for three iron forges in the town's earliest settlement. South Uxbridge has historic sites, picturesque weddings, hospitality, industrial and distribution centers, and the new Uxbridge High School. This community borders North Smithfield, and Burrillville, Rhode Island, and Millville, Massachusetts. South Uxbridge receives municipal services from Uxbridge, for fire, police, EMS, School district, public works, and other services. There is a South Uxbridge fire station of the Uxbridge fire department. Worcester's Judicial District includes Uxbridge District Court. Ironstone appears on the Blackstone U.S. Geological Survey Map. Worcester County is in the Eastern time zone and observes DST.
This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Providence County, Rhode Island.
This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.
The South Central Falls Historic District is a historic district in Central Falls, Rhode Island. It is a predominantly residential area, densely populated, which was developed most heavily in the late 19th century. It is bounded roughly by Broad Street to the east, the Pawtucket city line to the south, Dexter Street to the west, and Rand Street and Jenks Park to the north. It has 377 contributing buildings, most of which were built before 1920. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.
The Greenwich Mills is an historic mill complex at 42 Ladd Street in Warwick, Rhode Island. The complex was developed between 1918 and 1927, and includes four brick structures. The oldest is the weave shed, a single-story structure built in 1918. The office building was built in 1919-20, and is a 3- and 4-story C-shaped structure. This building was designed by Providence architect T. Clarence Herrmann. The finishing mill, built in 1923 and expanded in 1931, is the largest of the complex, and is located at the corner of Blackmore and Ladd Streets. The dye house and boiler house is a single-story structure built in sections in c. 1922 and 1947. The mills were built on a site where industrial activity had been taking place since about 1836. The mills produced worsted wool fabric until 1950, and are now used for a variety of light industrial purposes.
The Bridge Mill Power Plant is an historic hydroelectric plant at 25 Roosevelt Avenue in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. It is a red brick building, with sections two and three stories in height, located on the west bank of the Seekonk River. An ashlar granite retaining wall obscures a conduit which delivers water to the facility from the Pawtucket Falls Dam. The facility has three parts: a gate house, which controls the flow of water into the power house, where five turbines were located. A boiler house housed a steam generation facility which was used to generate power when the water levels were too low for hydroelectric power generation. Built in 1893, this is probably the best-preserved 19th-century hydroelectric power station in Rhode Island.
The Conant Thread—Coats & Clark Mill Complex District is a historic district encompassing a large industrial complex which straddles the border between Pawtucket and Central Falls, Rhode Island. This 50-acre (20 ha) industrial area was developed in two phases, with a number of buildings surviving from both of these periods. The first, between 1870 and 1882, resulted in the construction of Mills 2 through 5, a series of large three- and four-story brick buildings which were used in textile manufacturing. A brick office and stables from this period were demolished in 1977, and are the only known brick structures to have been lost. The second phase of construction was between 1917 and 1923, and included the construction of two additional four-story brick mills, a stuccoed recreation hall that has since been converted into a senior center, two two-story brick buildings, and a power plant. This works was first developed by J & P Coats, and became an internationally known source for cotton thread. It was for many years Pawtucket's largest employer.
The Foster–Payne House is a historic house at 25 Belmont Street in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Built in 1878, the two-story multi-gabled house is distinguished by its clapboarded and exterior woodwork and opulent parlors in the interior. The property also has a matching carriagehouse with gable roof and cupola. The house was originally constructed and owned by Theodore Waters Foster, but it was sold to George W. Payne in 1882. The Foster–Payne House is architecturally significant as a well-designed and well-preserved late 19th century suburban residence. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
The Hope Webbing Company Mill is a historic textile mill at 999-1005 Main Street in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. The three brick buildings on this 7-acre (2.8 ha) are the surviving elements of what was once a larger complex, extending across Esten Avenue. The oldest portion of the main mill and the boiler house were built in 1889, with the mill growing by numerous additions through 1914. The preparing building was built in 1902 and enlarged in 1913. The Hope Webbing Company was established in 1883, and used these premises to manufacture narrow fabrics using many different types of fibers, including cotton, jute, wool, and silk. The company occupied all or part of the premises until 1994, when it moved its remaining production to Cumberland.
Trinity Episcopal Church was a historic church located at 48 Main Street in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Built by the Episcopalians, the building was sold to the Catholics in 1977 and became the St. George Maronite Catholic Church within the Diocese of Providence. The church burned down in 2005, and was not rebuilt.
Oliver Chace's Thread Mill is an historic mill building at 505 Bay Street in Fall River, Massachusetts. It is the remains of a much larger complex. The small building was used as an office and later for storage.
The William J. Braitsch and Company Plant is a historic industrial building at 472 Potters Avenue in Providence, Rhode Island. Built in 1892, it played a key role in the development of the silversmithing industry in the city. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2016.
The Naushon Company Plant is a historic textile mill complex at 32 Meeting Street in Cumberland, Rhode Island. First built in 1902-04 and enlarged over time, it illustrates the adaption of the site to differing uses between then and the 1950s, when its use for textile manufacture ended. The complex was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.
The American Supply Company Building is a historic industrial building at 1364 Broad Street in Central Falls, Rhode Island. Built in 1876, it was home to a prominent regional manufacturer of loom parts supplied to the area's textile manufacturers. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2017. As of 2017, it is vacant and owned by the city, which is considering adaptive reuse for the property.
The Jenckes Spinning Company is a historic textile factory complex in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Located on Conant and Weeden Streets, the complex was developed between 1883 and 1919, and was home to the city's largest employer in the 1910s, producing cotton fabric and fabric for use in automotive tires until 1933. The factory complex was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2018.
The Andrews Mill Company Plant is a historic industrial complex at 761 Great Road in North Smithfield, Rhode Island. Built beginning in 1918, it was home to a maker of French worsted wool textiles, part of a major industrial development push in northern Rhode Island at the time. The complex was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2018.
