Wampanoag Mills facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Wampanoag Mills
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Wampanoag Mill No. 2
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | 420 Quequechan St., Fall River, Massachusetts |
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| Area | 8.6 acres (3.5 ha) |
| Built | 1872 |
| MPS | Fall River MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 83000729 |
| Added to NRHP | February 16, 1983 |
The Wampanoag Mills is a historic group of buildings in Fall River, Massachusetts. It used to be a very large factory where people made cloth. The first building was constructed in 1871. These mills are special because they are made of strong granite. They are also listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which means they are important to history.
Contents
What Do Wampanoag Mills Look Like?
The Wampanoag Mills stand out at the corner of Quequechan and Alden Streets in Fall River. You can easily see the two main mill buildings from nearby highways. These buildings are very tall, with five stories each!
Inside the Mill Complex
The whole area has many buildings. Some are connected to the main ones. The building on the west side includes Mill Number 1 and a special room called a weave shed. The building on the east side is Mill Number 2, with smaller parts attached. There are also two smaller storage buildings between the main mills. One is made of granite, and the other is made of wood.
A Look at Wampanoag Mills History
The Wampanoag Mills company started in 1871. Their goal was to make cotton cloth.
Building the Mills
Mill No. 1 was built in 1872 on Quequechan Street. It was made from local granite found in Fall River. A few years later, in 1877, Mill No. 2 was built. This mill could be reached from Alden Street. Adding Mill No. 2 helped the factory make much more cloth. It increased the total number of "spindles" to 45,500. Spindles are parts of machines that twist cotton into thread. The mills used steam power to run their machines. A two-story weave shed was also added to Mill No. 1. This is where the threads were woven into fabric. The mills stopped making cloth in 1929.
What Happened After the Mills Closed?
In the 1980s, Mill No. 1 became a place for many small shops. It was part of a factory outlet area. Later, this mill was changed into apartments for older adults. A cultural center is still located in the old weave shed, which is connected to Mill No. 1.
Mill No. 2 used to be home to a company called Fall River Knitting Mills. This company later became Northeast Knitting Mills.
On April 16, 2010, a fire happened in a storage building next to the mills. This building used to belong to a candy company.
