1886 Mine Falls Gatehouse facts for kids
The Mine Falls Gatehouse is a special building in Mine Falls Park in Nashua, New Hampshire. It was built a long time ago, in 1886, by a company called the Nashua Manufacturing Company. Its main job was to control the flow of water from the mill yard. This water was super important because it helped power the company's machines. In 1987, the gatehouse became part of the Nashua Manufacturing Company Historic District. It was also listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which means it's a really important historical site.
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What is the Mine Falls Gatehouse?
The Mine Falls Gatehouse is a building that helps manage water. It's like a control center for water flow. The gatehouse has special gates inside that can be opened or closed. This helps direct water to where it needs to go.
Why the Mills Needed Water Power
Back in the 1820s, the Nashua Manufacturing Company started making cloth. They built their mills near the Nashua River. To power their machines, they needed a lot of water. So, they built a dam at Mine Falls, about three miles from their mills.
A man named James Baldwin had a clever idea. He supervised the digging of a power canal. This canal changed the path of the river water. The water would flow through special guard gates and into the canal. By the time the water reached the mills, it was moving fast enough to turn big waterwheels. These waterwheels then powered the machines inside the buildings.
How the Gatehouse Was Built
The gatehouse itself was built in 1886. This was during the time when Grover Cleveland was president. It was a big improvement from the smaller gates used before. A contractor from Lowell, Massachusetts, named L.F. Kittrege, hired workers to build five new lift gates. These gates were protected by the strong brick walls of the gatehouse.
The gatehouse, along with the dam and the canal, is a part of the Nashua Manufacturing Company Historic District. These places are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The gatehouse was built to be useful, not just pretty. Its inside still shows the old machines that helped change water power into electric power over time.
The End of an Era
In the 1930s, a tough time called the Great Depression happened. The economy got very bad, and new buildings stopped being built. Many textile companies in New England faced problems. They either closed down or moved to the South. This was because they could hire workers for less money there. The Nashua Manufacturing Company did not move. It finally closed its doors in 1948.
