The Border City Mill No. 2 is a historic cotton
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 ...
at One Weaver Street in
Fall River, Massachusetts. Built in 1873, it is the largest surviving element of the once-sprawling Border City Mill complex. It was designed by
Josiah Brown
Josiah Brown (1816–1875) was an American architect and civil and mill engineer of Fall River, Massachusetts. Among his major surviving projects are the Union Mill No. 1 (1859) and Border City Mill No. 2 (1873), both in Fall River.
Life and c ...
, a prominent local designer of mills, and is one of the city's few brick mills. It 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 1990.
It was converted into residences in the 1980s.
Description and history
Border City Mil No. 2 is located in northwestern Fall River, on the east bank of the
Taunton River
The Taunton River (historically also called the "Taunton Great River"), is a river in southeastern Massachusetts in the United States. It arises from the confluence of the Town River and Matfield River, in the town of Bridgewater. From the ...
, from which it is now separated by
Massachusetts Route 79
Route 79 is a state highway in southeastern Massachusetts. The route begins as a highway in Fall River, Massachusetts, Fall River also known as the Fall River Viaduct and Western Fall River Expressway before becoming a more rural route.
Route de ...
. Weaver Street runs just south of the mill. It is a five-story brick building with Italianate features, most prominently in its central tower, which features narrow windows, an open
belvedere Belvedere (from Italian, meaning "beautiful sight") may refer to:
Places
Australia
*Belvedere, Queensland, a locality in the Cassowary Coast Region
Africa
*Belvedere (Casablanca), a neighborhood in Casablanca, Morocco
*Belvedere, Harare, Zim ...
, and a bellcast roof. One particularly rare surviving feature is a set of six wrought iron fire escapes.
The Border City Mill Company was organized in 1872 by a group of investors from
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
.
[ The company's first president was S. Angier Chace and George T. Hathaway was treasurer.Phillips History of Fall River]
/ref> The mill was erected in 1873, the choice of brick dictated by the site's relatively remote access from Fall River's granite quarries. It was also one of the early mills to be built on the Taunton River, most of the city's previous mills having been sited on the Quequechan River. The mill is an early work of Josiah Brown, considered the city's first professional architect.[
The company produced primarily shirting and sheeting fabrics. During the financial crisis of 1879, the company was re-organized with John S. Brayton as president. By 1888, the Border City Manufacturing Company was operating in three mills.][ The company was still operating in 1940.
Mill No. 2 was converted into residential apartments in the 1980s, and was added to 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 1990.
See also
*
*List of mills in Fall River, Massachusetts
The city of Fall River, Massachusetts once had over 120 cotton textile mills and was the leading cotton textile center in the United States during the late 19th century and early 20th century.
There are currently about 65 historic textile mills rem ...
References
External links
Border City Mill Apartments web site
{{National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts
Industrial buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts
Textile mills in Fall River, Massachusetts
National Register of Historic Places in Fall River, Massachusetts