Kitson Woolen Mill facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Kitson Woolen Mill
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 Location in Pennsylvania
Location in the United States
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| Location | 411 Main St., Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania |
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| Area | 3.1 acres (1.3 ha) |
| Built | 1893-1904 |
| Built by | Phillips, M.L. |
| NRHP reference No. | 84003501 |
| Added to NRHP | January 12, 1984 |
The Kitson Woolen Mill is a historic building complex in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. It was once a busy factory where wool was made into cloth. People also knew it as the Holland Thread Company building later on.
The complex has four brick buildings. They were built between 1893 and 1904. These buildings are shaped like a "U" and include an "East Wing," a "West Wing," a boiler house, and an office. The Kitson Woolen Mill made wool products until 1928. After that, the Holland Thread Company used the building until 1978. This important site was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.
Contents
What Was the Kitson Woolen Mill?
A woolen mill is a factory where raw wool is cleaned, spun into yarn, and then woven into fabric. The Kitson Woolen Mill was a big part of Stroudsburg's history. It helped the town grow and provided many jobs.
Early Days of the Mill
Even before the Kitson Mill, there was a grist mill on this spot. It was owned by Jacob Stroud in the late 1700s. In 1865, a new factory called "Stroudsburg Mills" started here. It also wove wool, but it closed in 1873. We don't know if any parts of these older buildings are still in the current ones.
Thomas Kitson and His Big Ideas
Thomas Kitson (1840-1900) started working in wool factories when he was very young. He came from England and moved to the United States at age 19. He worked at a mill in New York.
In 1873, Thomas Kitson teamed up with William Wallace. They reopened the mill in Stroudsburg. Within ten years, Kitson owned the mill all by himself. The mill grew a lot! It went from 13 workers to 115. By 1886, the mill made 14,000 yards of wool cloth every month. This cloth was sold in New York City.
The mill first used water power from McMichael's Creek. The old water channel is still under the building. In 1888, they added some steam power. By 1893, the mill ran completely on steam power. In 1898, new construction almost doubled the mill's size.
A World Record in Wool!
Thomas Kitson and his mill became famous for something amazing. On May 18, 1898, they set a world record! They made a suit of clothes faster than anyone ever had. The challenge was to start with sheep and end with a finished suit. The old record was 8 hours, set by a mill in Scotland.
At 6:30 in the morning, six sheep were brought in. Six workers quickly sheared their wool. Then, 18 more workers sorted, cleaned, dyed, and dried the wool. They spun it into yarn. Finally, they wove the yarn into a black and white checkered cloth.
Next, the cloth went to Jacob Marks, a tailor in Stroudsburg. He sewed the suit in just 2½ hours with five helpers. The suit was delivered to Thomas Kitson's house in only 6 hours and 4 minutes! Kitson then wore the new suit to a party. Workers and local business people celebrated with him. They even served lamb for dinner!
From Wool to Thread: The Mill's Later Years
Thomas Kitson passed away in 1900. His son, Thomas J. Kitson, took over the business. He ran the mill until he died in 1920. The mill was sold in 1930 and was empty for a few years.
In 1933, a company called Holland Thread Company bought the building. They made thread there until 1978. Today, the Kitson Woolen Mill stands as a reminder of Stroudsburg's industrial past.
