List of mills in New Bedford, Massachusetts Facts for Kids

New Bedford, Massachusetts, was once a very important city for making cloth. Back in the early 1900s, around 1920, it had about 70 large factories called textile mills. These mills were busy places where cotton was spun into thread and then woven into fabric. New Bedford was one of the top places in the United States for making cotton textiles. Today, about 18 of these old mills are still standing in the city.

New Bedford's Textile History
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New Bedford's Textile History

For many years, New Bedford was famous for its whaling industry. But after the whaling business slowed down, the city found a new way to grow: making textiles! This change brought many jobs and helped the city become a busy industrial center. People worked hard in these mills, operating machines that spun cotton and wove fabric.

What is a Textile Mill?

A textile mill is a factory where raw materials, like cotton, are turned into cloth. Inside, there are many machines. Some machines, called spindles, twist cotton fibers into strong threads. Other machines, called looms, weave these threads together to create fabric. These mills were often very large buildings, sometimes with many floors.

Mills That Are Still Standing Today

Even though many mills have closed or been torn down, some of New Bedford's historic textile mills are still standing. These buildings are a reminder of the city's past. Many of them have found new uses. For example, some have been turned into apartments where people live, while others are used for shops, offices, or even art studios.

Here are a few examples of mills that are still part of New Bedford's landscape:

Booth Manufacturing Company: Built in 1910, this mill had many spindles and looms.
Dartmouth Manufacturing Company: Started in 1895, this company had several mills.
Hathaway Manufacturing Company: Built in 1888, this mill later became part of a very famous company called Berkshire-Hathaway.
Kilburn Mills: This mill, built in 1904, is now rented out to different businesses. You can find antique stores, record shops, and even art studios there!
Manomet Mills: These mills were built starting in 1903. One of them, Mill No. 4, was once the largest spinning mill in the world!
Nashawena Mills: Built in 1909, this mill had a weave shed that was considered the largest in the world.
Wamsutta Mills: This was one of the earliest and largest mill complexes, starting in 1846. Some of its buildings have been turned into apartments, and others house various businesses.
Whitman Mills: Built in 1895, parts of this mill have also been converted into apartments.

Mills That Are No Longer Here

Many of New Bedford's textile mills have been demolished over the years. Some were torn down because they were no longer used, while others made way for new developments. These mills played a big role in the city's history, even if their buildings are gone.

One example is the Columbia Spinning Co. mill, built in 1892. It was torn down in 2009 to make space for a shopping plaza. The New Bedford Steam Co. mill, built in 1846, was actually the very first textile mill in New Bedford, but it wasn't very successful and closed just six years later.