Salmon Falls Mill Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Salmon Falls Mill Historic District
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 Location in New Hampshire
Location in the United States
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| Location | Front St., Rollinsford, New Hampshire |
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| Area | 14 acres (5.7 ha) |
| Built | 1848 |
| Architectural style | Italianate, Greek Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 80000315 |
| Added to NRHP | February 29, 1980 |
The Salmon Falls Mill Historic District is a cool old factory area in Rollinsford, New Hampshire. It's right on Front Street, next to the Salmon Falls River. This place has four big buildings and seven smaller ones. They sit on about 14 acres of land.
These buildings were mostly built between 1840 and the mid-1860s. What's special is how they all look alike. Even when new parts were added, they matched the old designs! One building, the Number 2 Mill, was built in 1848. It was one of the first places to use a new invention called a turbine. This turbine made power for the machines, instead of an old waterwheel. This whole area was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
History of Salmon Falls Mills
The area where Rollinsford is today was settled way back in the 1620s. People have been using the Salmon Falls River for factories since 1623. That's when they first built a dam and a sawmill there.
In 1822, a merchant from Portsmouth, New Hampshire bought the rights to use the river's water power. He started a successful factory that made wool products. This factory burned down in 1834. But soon, a new factory was built to make cotton.
New Technology and Growth
A famous businessman named Amos Lawrence from Boston later bought the cotton factory. His group formed the Salmon Falls Manufacturing Company. They built a new factory building, which is now called the Number 2 building.
They also brought in new ideas from other big factory towns like Lowell, Massachusetts. One of these new ideas was the turbine. This was a big step up from the old waterwheels. It made the factories work better.
Sadly, the first factory building, Number 1, was destroyed by a fire in 1864. The Salmon Falls Manufacturing Company stopped making things in 1927. Since then, other businesses have used these historic buildings.
What Makes the District Special?
The Salmon Falls Mill Historic District has eleven different buildings and structures. Most of them are located between Front Street and the river. The concrete dam that crosses the river is part of the district too. It was built around 1910 to replace an older wooden dam.
Even the railroad bridge just downstream is included. One building, a cotton warehouse, is across Front Street. All these buildings look very similar, even though they were built over 50 years. Most are made of brick and show an "industrial Italianate" style. This means they have a fancy, strong look, like buildings from Italy.
