Rising Paper Mill facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Rising Paper Mill
|
|
Rising Paper Mill
|
|
 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | 295 Park St. S, Great Barrington, Massachusetts |
|---|---|
| Area | 30 acres (12 ha) |
| Built | 1873 |
| Architect | H.D. Cone |
| NRHP reference No. | 75000253 |
| Added to NRHP | August 11, 1975 |
The Rising Paper Mill is a very old and important factory located in the village of Housatonic, which is part of Great Barrington, Massachusetts. It was built way back in 1873. This mill is special because it's one of the best examples of how factories looked and were built during that time in Berkshire County. Because of its history, the mill was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. In 2008, a company called Hazen Paper bought the mill. They planned to make special layered paper there, often used for packaging.
What is the Rising Paper Mill Like?
The Rising Paper Mill is found south of Housatonic village. It sits right next to the Housatonic River, which was important for power and transport. The whole area around the mill is quite large, about 30 acres. There's also a dam near the northern part of the property, which helped power the mill in the past.
The main buildings of the mill are made of brick and have three stories. They are very long and are connected in the middle by a narrower section. The roofs are unique, with a special sloped design called a mansard roof, and they are covered with slate. You can also see fancy towers at the corners of the buildings. The corners have decorative granite blocks, and there are cool patterns of Greek crosses under the roof edges.
The Mill's History and Purpose
The mill was built around 1873 by a person named H.D. Cone. His big dream was to create the largest paper factory in the world! The buildings were made with incredibly strong foundations. This was necessary because the machines used to make paper were very heavy. The granite stones for these strong foundations came from a nearby place called Monument Mountain.
The way the mill was designed was very clever. The main paper-making machines, called Fourdrinier machines, were placed in the connecting part between the two main buildings. One of the large buildings was used to get all the materials ready for making paper. The other large building was where the paper was finished and prepared for shipping.
However, H.D. Cone faced some money problems and couldn't finish the mill completely. It sat empty for many years, until the early 1900s. Then, the B.D. Rising Company bought it. They started making paper there, and the mill became very successful. After another big local factory, Monument Mills, closed down in the 1930s, the Rising Mill became the biggest employer in the area, giving many people jobs.
See also
