Mill River Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Mill River Historic District
|
|
New Marlborough Town Hall
|
|
 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | Mill River, Massachusetts |
|---|---|
| Built | 1742 |
| Architectural style | Federal, Greek Revival, Gothic Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 94000423 |
| Added to NRHP | May 17, 1994 |
Mill River Historic District is a special area in New Marlborough, Massachusetts. It's like a time capsule showing how people lived and worked long ago. This historic area is found along the Konkapot River in the village of Mill River. It includes old homes, important public buildings, and even parts of old factories.
The district covers a large area, roughly bounded by Main Street and other roads like River Church, Southfield, Clayton, School, and Hayes Hill Roads. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994.
Contents
Exploring Mill River's Past
The Mill River Historic District is about 425 acres in size. It's filled with buildings mostly from the 1800s. You can see old houses, town buildings, and even signs of old factories. This area helps us understand what life was like when the village was a busy industrial center.
The Power of the Konkapot River
A key feature of this district is how it sits along the Konkapot River. The river here drops a lot in height, about 129 feet over 1.5 miles. This big drop was perfect for building mills. Many dams and mills were built to use the river's power. Today, you can still find parts of eight old mills. They remind us of the village's busy industrial past.
Homes and Buildings of the Past
Most of the houses in Mill River were built in the early 1800s. This was when the factories were very busy. These homes are usually simple, two-story wooden houses. Many of them show a style called Greek Revival. This style was popular at the time. Some houses are even older than the industrial period. A few others were built later in the 1800s.
Important Community Buildings
The district also has several important public buildings. You can see two churches built in the 1860s. They are in a style called Romanesque. The town hall, the local library, and the old school building are also part of the district. A few old shops from that time have also survived. This includes the building that is still used as the general store today.
Why the Mills Closed Down
Over time, Mill River became less important as a factory town. This happened after the railroad was built through the area. However, the train tracks did not go near the village itself. Because of this, most of the old factories and their equipment were eventually left empty. The district now preserves the memory of this once-busy industrial village.
 | Emma Amos |
 | Edward Mitchell Bannister |
 | Larry D. Alexander |
 | Ernie Barnes |
