Worumbo Mill facts for kids
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Worumbo Mill
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Formerly listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
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 Location in Maine
Location in the United States
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| Location | Canal St., Lisbon Falls, Maine |
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| Area | 5 acres (2.0 ha) |
| Built | 1864 |
| Architect | William H. Stevens |
| NRHP reference No. | 73000235, updated to 100001674 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1973 |
| Removed from NRHP | October 5, 2017 |
The Worumbo Mill was a very old factory located right next to the Androscoggin River in Lisbon Falls, Maine. It started way back in 1864. For a long time, it was the biggest employer in the town. Sadly, its main building burned down in 1987. This mill was once listed on the National Register of Historic Places. That means it was an important historical site. It was added in 1973 but removed in 2017.
What the Worumbo Mill Looked Like
Today, only a few parts of the Worumbo Mill are left. They stand on the north side of the Androscoggin River. This is just south of the main part of Lisbon Falls village. The original mill was a huge building from the 1800s. It had many additions and fancy towers.
Now, only two concrete buildings from the 1920s remain. One building has one story, and the other has three. Both are very close to Canal Street. They are next to a dam that once powered the mill. This dam now helps make electricity.
The History of Worumbo Mill
The idea for the Worumbo Mill came from two people in Lisbon Falls. Their names were Edward Plummer and H.A. Tibbetts. Later, a businessman named Oliver Moses joined them. He was from Bath. They wanted to build a factory that made fine wool clothes.
Work on the mill started in 1864. Production began in 1865. Mr. Moses was the company's president. The first year was tough, and they lost a lot of money. They lost about $100,000, which would be like $2 million today!
In the 1920s, the mill got bigger. A new white building was added, which you can still see today. The 1940s brought new and better machines. But in 1964, the mill announced it would close. This was because of competition from clothing makers overseas. All 600 employees lost their jobs. Later, someone tried to start the mill again, but it didn't work.
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A big fire started in the old part of the mill. This happened on July 23, 1987. The fire completely destroyed the original buildings. But the newer part, built in the 1920s, was saved. A huge number of firefighters, 283 of them, came to help.
They got the fire under control in five hours. They used 15,000 gallons of water every minute! On the first day, they used over 17 million gallons of water. Fire crews stayed for 13 more hours to put out all the flames. They even came back every day for over a week. This was to make sure the fire didn't start again. The Maine Forest Service sent a helicopter to drop water. Firefighters from many nearby towns also helped. It was one of the biggest factory fires Maine has ever seen.
The Worumbo Mill was even mentioned in a book! It appeared in the Stephen King novel 11/22/63. The mill buildings that were left were taken down in 2016.
