Biddeford–Saco Mills Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Biddeford–Saco Mills Historic District
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Bird's-eye View of the Saco & Pettee Machine Shops and Pepperell Mills from a 1906 postcard.
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 Location in Maine
Location in the United States
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| Location | Bounded by Pearl, Lincoln, York and Main Streets, Biddeford, Gooch and Saco Streets. Biddeford and Saco, Maine |
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| Area | 38 acres (15 ha) |
| Architect | Amos D. Lockwood et al. |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival, Italianate |
| NRHP reference No. | 08001258 |
| Added to NRHP | December 30, 2008 |
The Biddeford–Saco Mills Historic District is a cool collection of old factory buildings. It sits on both sides of the Saco River in Biddeford and Saco, Maine. This area covers about 38 acres (the size of 29 football fields!). It has been used for factories since the 1700s.
Today, you can see many well-preserved buildings from the 1800s and early 1900s here. In 2008, this special district was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Many of the old buildings have been fixed up and are now used for homes, shops, and other businesses.
Exploring the Historic Biddeford–Saco Mills
This historic district shows us a lot about how factories used to work. It's a great example of old industrial buildings.
A Look Back: Early History of the Mills
The story of factories in the Saco–Biddeford area began in the 1760s. A merchant and ship owner named Thomas Cutts bought an island in the Saco River. This island is now called Saco Island and is part of Saco.
Cutts started a lumber mill and other businesses on the island. In 1811, he even opened an iron works with Josiah Calef. The first textile mill (a factory that makes cloth) was built on the island in 1826.
The oldest building still standing in the mill complex was built in 1832-1833. It was built by the York Manufacturing Company. After this, more and more factories grew in the area. They eventually took over the entire island and a large part of the Biddeford riverfront. The newest important building was built around 1940.
What Are These Mills Like Today?
The district has over forty buildings that are important to history. They are spread across 38 acres. Six of these buildings are on Saco Island. This is south of Gooch Street and west of Main Street.
In Biddeford, the district is bordered by Main, York, and Lancaster Streets to the south. Lincoln Street is to the west, and Pearl Street is to the north. Two buildings on Saco Island are very long. These are York Mills #1 and #4. They are both more than 500 feet (about 150 meters) long! They run side-by-side across the middle of the island.
