Falls Yarn Mill

Submitted by Woonsocket_Admin on Thu, 10/12/2017 - 18:08

With the construction of new plants in Millville and Woonsocket, the Woonsocket Rubber Company left its original factory on South Main Street in 1910.

In 1914, the Falls Yarn Mill purchased the two brick mills on the eastern side of the Woonsocket Rubber complex. These mills were used for the manufacture of fine merino yarns, such as lamb’s wool and cashmere.

That same year the rubblestone mill was purchased by the Model Dyeing and Printing Company, who operated there until the 1950s.

<i>Images courtesy of the Harris Public Library</i>

Nyanza

Submitted by Woonsocket_Admin on Thu, 10/12/2017 - 17:55

In 1910, Nyanza Mills was incorporated with a capital of $600,000 by largely Boston and Woonsocket interests. The company manufactured cotton, mercerized and dyed yarns.

In 1915, the mill’s capital increased to $1 million and a plant expanded to include three new buildings. To provide electric and steam power to the Nyanza complex, the Manufacturer's Power Company was added. Before the plant expansion, the company employed 550 people. By the late 1920s it employed 838 people.

Masurel Worsted Mills

Submitted by Woonsocket_Admin on Thu, 10/12/2017 - 17:51

Erected during World War I and completed in 1919, the building at 235 Singleton Street was initially intended to be an extension of the Nyanza Mills. However, the end of the war and a downturn in production brought the decision to sell the property.

In 1924, the site was purchased by Masurel Worsted, which was incorporated with a capital of $1,500.000. The mill manufactured diversified high quality yarn, such as worsted, cashmere and hosiery. The BanLon line was their best known product.

Guerin Mill Complex

Submitted by Woonsocket_Admin on Thu, 10/12/2017 - 15:38

The Guerin Mill complex is still standing. The latest businesses to occupy the complex are Imperial Packaging, Eco Friendly Gardener, Continental Logistics Transport, Industrial Oil Supply Co., and Wholesale United Corp.

<i>Images courtesy of Charles Noel</i>

River Spinning Mill

Submitted by Woonsocket_Admin on Thu, 10/12/2017 - 15:36

On June 26, 2003, fire engulfed the River Spinning Company mill building, which housed ACS Industries. The fire also destroyed the building which housed Florence Dye, located next to the River Spinning Company. In 2010 the site became home to the new Middle School campus.

<i>Image courtesy of Charles Noel</i>

Lafayette Worsted

Submitted by Woonsocket_Admin on Thu, 10/12/2017 - 15:33

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, a number of fires occurred in buildings at the rear of the complex. In the same span, the City of Woonsocket began the search for a site for a new middle school to replace the massive, early 20th century building located on Park Place, just up the street from the Lafayette complex. Eventually, the Lafayette site was chosen.

Taft-Peirce

Submitted by Woonsocket_Admin on Thu, 10/12/2017 - 15:21

The Taft-Peirce complex retains many of the buildings that were constructed for the company during the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Multiple small businesses are currently located in the complex, including a storage facility and some light industrial operations.

<i>Images courtesy of Potter Photography</i>

Philmont Worsted

Submitted by Woonsocket_Admin on Thu, 10/12/2017 - 15:19

The building remained vacant from 2002 to 2007 when it was converted into condominiums. Today it is the Gateway Commons Condominiums.

<i>Image courtesy of Charles Noel</i>

Plastics Group of America

Submitted by Woonsocket_Admin on Thu, 10/12/2017 - 14:46

The Jules Desurmont Mill was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2007. It is currently being restored by the Plastics Group of America. Once fully restored it will provide an additional 240,000 square feet of storage and production space to TPG’s operations.

<i>Images courtesy of Potter Photography</i>

Alice Mill

Submitted by Woonsocket_Admin on Thu, 10/12/2017 - 14:37

After Tech Industries moved its operations to Cumberland in 2009, the Alice Mill property was purchased in 2010 by Steven Triedman, owner of American Wood Pellet. Triedman was in the process of refurbishing the site to accommodate his wood pellet manufacturing business when tragedy struck. On June 7, 2011, the building erupted in a spectacular fire that was hot enough to melt the buildings’ steel structures, and with smoke thick enough to be detected on weather radar. The building was completely destroyed and the site is currently vacant.