Mill Village Historic District (Williamstown, Massachusetts) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Mill Village Historic District
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Severance Block
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | Cole Ave., Mill, Arnold, and Elm Sts. Williamstown, Massachusetts |
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| Area | 12.86 acres (5.20 ha) |
| Built | 1865 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 83003926 |
| Added to NRHP | October 6, 1983 |
The Mill Village Historic District is a special place in Williamstown, Massachusetts. It's like a time capsule that shows us what a mill village looked like in the 1800s. This historic area is found on Cole Avenue and other nearby streets. It sits close to the Hoosic River, which was very important because it powered the mill.
This old village includes homes for workers, houses for their bosses, and even a mill building that is still standing. The Mill Village Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. This means it's recognized as an important historical site in the United States.
What is the Mill Village Historic District?
The Mill Village is about 13 acres (or 5.3 hectares) in size. It's located on the east side of Cole Avenue, right next to the Hoosac River. The homes in the village look very similar to each other. Most of them are made of wood and are one or two stories tall. They were built to house one or two families each. In 1878, a local newspaper called this village a "model manufacturing community." This means it was a great example of how a factory town could be organized.
The Story of the Mill
The first mill building was built in 1866. It was used for a textile business, which made fabrics and clothes. The owner was Paul Chadbourne, who was also the president of Williams College. Many workers were needed for the mill, but there weren't enough homes for everyone. So, the company built many "tenement-style" houses near the mill. These were often double houses, meaning two families could live in one building.
To help the workers and their families, other important buildings were also constructed. These included a church, a store, and a school. This helped create a complete community where people could live, work, and get what they needed.
Changes Over Time
The textile business faced problems and eventually closed down in 1929. But the mill building didn't stay empty for long! In the 1930s, it was changed to make photographic paper instead. This new business continued for many years.
However, the photographic paper business also closed in 1989. After that, the mill building was empty for a while. Sadly, part of the original 1866 building's roof fell in 2003. Because of this, the old mill building had to be taken down. Even though the original mill is gone, the district still tells an important story about how people lived and worked in the past.
 | Janet Taylor Pickett |
 | Synthia Saint James |
 | Howardena Pindell |
 | Faith Ringgold |
