Robert Rogerson facts for kids
Robert Rogerson was an important American industrialist, a person who owned and managed large businesses, especially factories. He was born in Taunton, Massachusetts, and later lived in the United States.
Contents
Building Factories in Uxbridge
Robert Rogerson's parents moved to the U.S. from the United Kingdom. After leaving Taunton, he moved to Uxbridge, Massachusetts. In 1817, he bought the Clapp Mill, which was the oldest cotton mill in Uxbridge. This mill was located on the Mumford River.
The Crown and Eagle Mills
Rogerson then built two new cotton mills on the Mumford River in Uxbridge in 1825. These buildings and the area around them became known as the Crown and Eagle Mills. The name "Crown" honored his parents' home country, and "Eagle" represented his family's new home, the United States. Rogerson also built a village around the mills. This village was known for its beautiful and detailed architecture.
What Happened to the Mills?
Robert Rogerson stopped owning the Crown and Eagle Mills around 1837. His business had problems, partly because he spent a lot of money building the mills and the village. James Whitin and his family then bought the mills. They continued to run them as the Uxbridge Cotton Mills.
The Crown and Eagle Mills were damaged by fire around 1975. However, they have been rebuilt and are now used as housing for senior citizens. Rogerson's Village, which Robert Rogerson built, is now part of the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor. It is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which means it's an important historical site.
Robert Rogerson's Life
Robert Rogerson's wife might have been Ann Rogerson, who passed away in Douglas, Massachusetts. His daughter, Elizabeth Slater Rogerson, died in Uxbridge when she was 18 years old in 1842.
Besides being a businessman, Rogerson was also a very smart person and a musician. For many years, he was the president of the Handel and Haydn Society in Boston, a famous music group. He lived in Uxbridge until at least the early 1840s, but he did not die there.
See also
- List of Registered Historic Places in Uxbridge, Massachusetts
- Rogerson's Village Historic District
- North Uxbridge—a main village near Rogerson's village
- Uxbridge, Massachusetts - a town in the Blackstone Valley, a historic National Park area
- Whitinsville, Massachusetts
