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The Worumbo Mill was a historic mill on the bank of the
A fire started in the original portion of the mill on July 23, 1987, completely destroying the old portion of the complex, but the 1920s expansion was spared from the flames. All told, 283 firefighters responded to the blaze. Although the fire was controlled in five hours, using of water per minute to do so (a total of was used the first day), crews stayed for another 13 to extinguish the flames, and returned each day for over a week to be sure no flare-ups occurred. The Maine Forest Service responded with a helicopter to drop water, and crews from many surrounding towns assisted in the battle. It was one of Maine's largest industrial fires.
The mill was also featured in the Stephen King novel ''
Androscoggin River
The Androscoggin River ( Abenaki: ''Aləssíkαntekʷ'') is a river in the U.S. states of Maine and New Hampshire, in northern New England. It is U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, ...
in Lisbon Falls, Maine
Lisbon Falls is a census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Lisbon, located in Androscoggin County, Maine, United States. The population of Lisbon Falls was 4,100 at the 2010 census. It is included in both the Lewiston- Auburn, Maine, metrop ...
. Founded in 1864, it was at one point the community's largest employer. Its main building, dating to its founding, was destroyed by fire in 1987. The complex 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 ...
in 1973, and was delisted in 2017.
Description
The surviving elements of the Worumbo Mill stand on the northern bank of the Androscoggin River, just south of the center of the village of Lisbon Falls. Originally a sprawling utilitarian 19th-century building adorned with additions and decorative towers, only two 1920 concrete buildings, one of one story and the other of three, stand today. Both are set close to Canal Street, adjacent to the dam (now used for hydroelectric generation) that provided power to the mill.History
The Worumbo Mill began as the brainchild of two residents of Lisbon Falls, Edward Plummer and H.A. Tibbetts. Later, Oliver Moses, a businessman from Bath was brought in as they sought to build a factory producing fine woolens. Ground was broken in 1864 and production began in 1865, with Mr. Moses as president of the company. Operating losses were substantial that first year at $100,000. This amount is roughly equivalent to $2 million today. During the 1920s an expansion was added to the mill and is the white building that stands today. The 1940s saw equipment upgrades. Due to pressure from overseas clothing manufacturers, the mill announced that it would be closing in 1964 and all 600 employees would lose their jobs. An attempt to restart production later failed.
A fire started in the original portion of the mill on July 23, 1987, completely destroying the old portion of the complex, but the 1920s expansion was spared from the flames. All told, 283 firefighters responded to the blaze. Although the fire was controlled in five hours, using of water per minute to do so (a total of was used the first day), crews stayed for another 13 to extinguish the flames, and returned each day for over a week to be sure no flare-ups occurred. The Maine Forest Service responded with a helicopter to drop water, and crews from many surrounding towns assisted in the battle. It was one of Maine's largest industrial fires.
The mill was also featured in the Stephen King novel ''11/22/63
''11/22/63'' is a novel by Stephen King about a time traveller who attempts to prevent the assassination of United States President John F. Kennedy, which occurred on November 22, 1963 (the novel's titular date). It is the 60th book published b ...
''. The mill was demolished in 2016.
See also
*Polo cloth
Polo cloth was a trade name for a cloth by the Worumbo Manufacturing Company. It was a blended cloth made out of camel hair's and wool. It was a loosely woven, soft, double faced twill weave construction that was primarily used for coats and over ...
was a trade name for a cloth by the Worumbo Manufacturing Company.
*National Register of Historic Places listings in Androscoggin County, Maine
__NOTOC__
This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Androscoggin County, Maine.
This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Androscoggin Cou ...
References
{{National Register of Historic Places Lisbon, Maine Industrial buildings completed in 1864 Industrial buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in Maine Textile mills in Maine Buildings and structures in Androscoggin County, Maine Economy of Androscoggin County, Maine National Register of Historic Places in Androscoggin County, Maine Former National Register of Historic Places in Maine Demolished buildings and structures in Maine Buildings and structures demolished in 2016 1864 establishments in Maine 2016 disestablishments in Maine