Assabet Woolen Mill
The Assabet Woolen Mill was originally a textile factory complex founded by Amory Maynard in 1847 near the Assabet River in the northern part of what was then Sudbury, Massachusetts. The area was later named Maynard, Massachusetts in 1871 in honor of the mill founder.[1][2] The business became bankrupt in 1898, reopened in 1899 as part of the American Woolen Company, expanded by same, then stopped operation as a woolen mill in 1950. The buildings were repurposed by Digital Equipment Corporation, later Clock Tower Place, as of 2015 "Mill & Main".
History
Starting in the eighteenth century[3], several grist mills and other mills were constructed along the Assabet River near the site of the current mill. In 1847 Amory Maynard constructed the first buildings of Assabet Mills on the current site. The Assabet Mills, located on the Assabet River, produced carpets and later wool used in military uniforms during the American Civil War.[1][4] The mill complex is also home to the oldest, still-working, hand-wound clock in the country (see image). The clock tower was constructed in 1892 by Lorenzo Maynard (Amory's oldest son) as a gift to the town. The weights that power the E. Howard & Co. tower clock and bell-ringing mechanisms are wound up once a week - more than 6,000 times since the clock was installed. The process takes one to two hours. The four clock faces have always been illuminated by electric lights.[5]
After bankruptcy in 1898, it was purchased by American Woolen Company which modernized and expanded the facility. Textile production ended in 1950. In 1953 several Worcester businessmen formed Maynard Industries, Inc. and purchased the property and rented space to business and industrial tenants.[6] In 1957 Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) was formed and rented space in the mill, and in 1974 DEC purchased the entire Mill complex for $2.2 million. and Maynard became known as the "Mini Computer Capital of the World". DEC remained in Maynard until 1998 when it was purchased by Compaq, which was itself later bought out by Hewlett Packard.[7] In 1993 DEC vacated much the complex (renting part of the complex before leaving completely in 1998), and in 1995 Franklin Life Care acquired ownership of the mill buildings. In 1998 Clock Tower Place purchased the property and rented space to various business. In 2015 "Mill & Main" acquired the mill complex and currently leases space to office and light industry businesses and restaurants.[6]
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Assabet Mills and pond in Maynard, Massachusetts
See also
- Maynard, Massachusetts for further detail regarding the use of the mill buildings.
References
- ^ a b http://web.maynard.ma.us/history/maynard-family.htm
- ^ William H. Gutteridge, "A Brief History of the Town of Maynard, Massachusetts" 1921 - Maynard (Mass.)
- ^ January 1992, "Development of the Assabet Mills in 19th Century Maynard," John R. Mullin, University of Massachusetts - Amherst, Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning Faculty Publication Series http://scholarworks.umass.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1039&context=larp_faculty_pubs
- ^ William H. Gutteridge, "A Brief History of the Town of Maynard, Massachusetts" 1921 - Maynard (Mass.)
- ^ Mark, David A. (2014). Hidden History of Maynard. The History Press. ISBN 1626195412.
- ^ a b http://web.maynard.ma.us/history/mill-history.htm
- ^ Earls, Alan R. (2004). Digital Equipment Corporation. Mount Pleasant, SC: Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7385-3587-6
Further reading
- Boothroyd, Paul; Halprin, Lewis. Assabet Mills: Maynard, Massachusetts. Charleston, South Carolina : Arcadia Publishing, 1999. ISBN 9780738502625
- Mullin, John R. "Development of the Assabet Mills in 19th Century Maynard", Faculty Publication Series, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, 1992.
External links
- "A History of the Mill", Maynard city website history
- Mill and Main Official Website