Old Mill Site Historic District facts for kids
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Old Mill Site Historic District
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | 48 and 50 Prospect St., Hatfield, Massachusetts |
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| Area | 2.2 acres (0.89 ha) |
| Built | 1881 |
| Part of | Mill-Prospect Street Historic District (ID02001188) |
| NRHP reference No. | 82001911 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | June 2, 1982 |
| Designated CP | October 22, 2002 |
The Old Mill Site Historic District in Hatfield, Massachusetts, is a special area where an old mill from the late 1800s used to be. It's one of only two such historic mill sites in the whole town.
The most important building in this district is the former Shattuck Gun Factory. This building was constructed in 1881. Over the years, it has been used for different things. In 1989, it housed newspaper offices, and by 2006, it had become a bed and breakfast.
This historic district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. This means it's recognized as an important historical site. The district also includes a few other interesting parts:
- An old bridge from 1891, called a Warren pony truss bridge, which crosses the Mill River. It's not used by cars anymore.
- A machine shop and a garage, both built in 1886. These buildings are located across the river from the main mill.
In 2002, the Old Mill Site Historic District became part of an even larger historical area called the Mill-Prospect Street Historic District.
What is the History of the Old Mill Site?
This mill site has been used for industrial purposes for a very long time, starting way back in 1661. That's when a person named Thomas Meekins was given permission to use the water from the falls. He then built a grist mill, which was used to grind grain into flour. Later, he also built a sawmill to cut wood.
In the early 1800s, more mills were built here, including another sawmill that stretched across the river. This area became one of the biggest places for jobs in Hatfield during the 1800s.
From Grinding Grain to Making Guns
Around 1865, the mill complex changed its focus. It started being used to make guns. First, a person named Henry Porter ran the gun-making business, and later, Charles Shattuck took over.
Sadly, most of the buildings at the site were destroyed in a big fire. After the fire, Charles Shattuck built the main mill building that you can still see today. He finished building it in 1881.
What Does the Main Mill Building Look Like?
The main mill building is a three-story structure made of wood. It has a gabled roof, which means the roof slopes down on two sides, forming a triangle. The outside walls are covered with clapboard, which are overlapping wooden boards.
The building is quite long, with seventeen sections along its length and six sections wide. On top of the roof, there's a small, decorative tower called a cupola. This cupola has a unique, pagoda-shaped roof, which looks a bit like a Chinese temple roof.
Part of the building's foundation is actually set right into the river. This was important because the mill used water power to operate. Water flowed through a special channel called a penstock to a turbine chamber in the basement. The turbine would spin, creating power for the mill's machinery.
