The Belknap-Sulloway Mill, now the Belknap Mill Museum, is a historic mill at 25 Beacon Street East in
Laconia, New Hampshire
Laconia is a city in Belknap County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 16,871 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, up from 15,951 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. It is the county seat of Belknap County. La ...
, a city in
Belknap County. Built sometime between 1823 and 1828, it is a rare well-preserved example of an early rural
textile mill
Textile Manufacturing or Textile Engineering is a major industry. It is largely based on the conversion of fibre into yarn, then yarn into fabric. These are then dyed or printed, fabricated into cloth which is then converted into useful goods ...
in New England, and was the business around which the city rose. The mill was in active use for the production of textiles until 1969, undergoing some modest alterations as well as the modernization of its power plant. It was opened as a museum in 1991,
and was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
in 1971.
Description and history
The Belknap-Sulloway Mill is located on the east side of downtown Laconia, between Beacon Street East and the
Winnipesaukee River
The Winnipesaukee River is a river that connects Lake Winnipesaukee with the Pemigewasset and Merrimack rivers in Franklin, New Hampshire. The river is in the Lakes Region of central New Hampshire. The river's drainage area is approximately .
...
, which historically provided the power for the mill. It is a -story brick structure, with a stepped gable roof that has a band of
clerestory window
In architecture, a clerestory ( ; , also clearstory, clearstorey, or overstorey) is a high section of wall that contains windows above eye level. Its purpose is to admit light, fresh air, or both.
Historically, ''clerestory'' denoted an upper l ...
s parallel to the ridge on each side. There are slender chimneys at each end, and a wooden cupola at the center which houses a bell. The north-facing main facade is nine bays wide, with a central rectangular projection housing a staircase. Windows are set in plain rectangular openings. The rear of the building has several smaller single-story brick ells.
[
The first mill to stand at this site was a wood-frame structure built in 1811, when the area was part of ]Meredith, New Hampshire
Meredith is a New England town, town in Belknap County, New Hampshire, Belknap County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 6,662 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Meredith is situated in the state's Lakes Region (New Hamp ...
. That mill burned in 1823, and this building, its replacement, was reported to be in full operation by 1828. The bell in the cupola is believed to be a recasting of the original mill's bell. Unlike later mills, which used more fire-resistant materials, its interior uses joisted floor construction. Alterations to the structure since its construction include the addition of the door to the stair tower (before 1875) and the ells, which include a c. 1900 addition housing three power turbines.
See also
*
* New Hampshire Historical Marker No. 135: The Belknap Mill - The Busiel Mill
References
External links
Belknap Mill Museum web site
{{NRHP in Belknap County, New Hampshire
Industrial buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in New Hampshire
Commercial buildings completed in 1823
Museums in Belknap County, New Hampshire
Buildings and structures in Laconia, New Hampshire
Textile museums in the United States
National Register of Historic Places in Belknap County, New Hampshire
Textile mills in the United States