.4

Form O-3OOJuly 969

* UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIORNATIONAL PARK SERVICE

NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES

INVENTORY - NOMINATION FORM

Type all entries - complete applicable sections

STATE:

Rhode IslandCOUNTY,

Providence

FOR NPS USE ONLYENTRY NUMBER DATE

COMMON: Hernond, Inc., Woonsocket Weaving Co., Biackstone Valley Electric Cc.,Pierannun’zi Shoe Repair . -.

AND/OR HISTORIC: - -

Woonsocket Company/Bernon Mills

__________________

AND NUMeERI

100-115 Front Street

STATE

STREET

Rhode Island 02895

CITY DR TOWn,

Woonsocket

CATEGORYcheck One

CODE COUNTY,

44 Providence

[CLASSIEICATION -

OWNERSHIP

CODE

007

STATUS

C

District

Site

:.

El Building

El Structure

Obect..

-

El Public -

£ Private

Both

.

..

Public Acquisition: -

El1n Process

El Being Considered.

:

1

El

El

Occupied.

Unoccupied

Preservation work

in progress

*

El

El

Yes:.

Unrestricted

No -

PRESENT USE check One or Pdoro as Appropriate . . . ,

ACCESSIBLETO THE PUBLIC

El Agricultural

Commercial

El Educational

El Entertainment

El Government

] Industrial

El Military

El Museum

El Park

El Private Residence

El Religious

El Scientific

El Transportation

El Other Spec! fr

[TTOWNER.:OEPPOPERTY.r::::y.:::.! .:* .

El Comments

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IISTREET AND NUMBER: . . - .

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ctTv OR TOWN: . . , . . STATE, . CODE

ILOcATION OF LEGAL_DESCRIPTION -

COURTNOUSE. REGISTRY OF DEEDS. ETC: :

City Hall .., . . . H

STREET AND NUMBER: . . . . . .-C

169 Main Street . ..

cITY OR TOWN: . .. . . STATE . CODE

Woonsocket . Rhode Islahd 02895

[I’REPRESENTATIONIN EXISTING SURVEYSTtTLE OF SURVEY: . . . . .

The New England Textile Mill. Survey . . .

DATE OF SURVEY: Federal El State El County El Local.

DEPOSITORY FOR SURVEY RECORDS: . . . .

Historic American Buildings Survey, Library of CongressSTREET AND NUMBER: . . . . .. . . .. ..

.

IndependenceAvenue and 1st Street, S.E.cITY OR TOWN: STATE: cOOE

Washington . . . .. District of Columbia 11

9100z0

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____ ______ _____________

I check One -

CONDITION [,ii__Excellent El Good El Fair El Deteriorated El Ruins El Unpxposed

check One check OneAltered El_Unaltered El Moved Original Site

DESCRIBE TNE PRESENT AND ORIGINAL it known PNYSICAL APPEARANCE

The Woonsocket Company mill complex in Woonsocket, Rhode Island issituated below Front Street on-the steeply sloping bank of the BlackstoneRiver between Bernon and Court streets. The area between the mill buildings and Front Street is occupied by a parking lot, the Woonsocket PoliceStation and,rows of late XIX and XX century commercial buildings.0riginally the mill yard, this area was open, containing only a smallstructure housing the mill office. . .

Manufacture of cotton textiles began on this site in 1827-28 withthe construction of the #1 Mill "B" on the site plan for the RussellManufacturing Company. This building was originally 112’ 8" by 45’ 8"in plan, three stories high, with a basement and attic. It was constructed of stone load-bearing walls and "slow-..burning" timber interiorframing. Although the building has been added to and altered, much ofthe original construction remains. The exterior walls are uncoursed’grait ternwith quarry-faced lintels and sills. The gable roof has continuous cler- rnestory windows, producing the characteristic earlyXIX century "factoryroof" profile. The #1 Mill was lengthened approximately25’ on the river ‘ -

end between 1851 and 1855. The open belfry originally set atop the pro- .. Zjected stair tower on the opposite end of the building was removed ic.1870. * *

, -s

The Russell Manufacturing Company failed in the depression of 1829.In 1832 the #1 Mill became the property of the newly formed Woonsocket * C

Company. In the following year that, firm’ built the’ #2 Mill "fl". This ‘:flunusual Greek Revival structure, 110’ 10" by 48’ 9", stands four stories . H

*tall with basement. The attic is unusable for manufacturing purposes.The #2 Mill is capped with a gable roof. The exterior walls are load- obearing, random-coursedgranite ashlarwith smooth finished granitequoins, lintels, sills and janths. The wall surfaces are ochre-colored;grattite and the decorative stonework is grey.’ The gable ends aretreated as pediments. Above each pediment are granite acroteria. In ‘‘

the land-side gable the lintel of a small garret door is inscribed"1833". The interior structure is wood joists, beams and square columns.The building retains much of its original 6/6 double hung sash andpaneled freight doors. The only major alteration to the fabric is a onestory brick office extension added to the front of the building c. 1950.

- The original stone: walled water ‘power trench "E" enters the, buildingfrom the Bernon Street side.

About 1835 the #3 Mill was built by the WoonsocketCompany. Thisbuilding was demolished when a hydroelectric power station "C" was 4

erected between 1890 and 1920. In 1859 the last textile mill buildingwas added to the complex, the #4 Mill "A". Again the companybuilt afour story stone structure. The gabled dormers on its pitched roof are

characteristic of the period inwhich it was constructed. The # 4 Mill,

as well as the #1 and #2 millsis in good condition. . I

The WoonsbcketCothány went out of business in 1883; In 1887 the

continued

* - -

- . Foin 1O-300o UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR STATE *NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES

* INVENTORY - NOMINATION FORM

ContinuationSheet

Rhode IslandCOUNTY

ProvidenceFOR NPS USE ONLY

ENTRY NUMBER DATE

7. Description continued

mill complex was purchasedby the Woonsocket Electric Machine and PowerCompany, now the Blackstone Valley Electric Company. The electric companyused the complex as the site for a po’er plant. Presently Blackstone ValleyElectric uses the #4 Mill for office space and the #1 Mill for equipmentstorage. The power plant is no longer in use. The #2 Mill has been soldto Hemond Incorporated and is used for storage and office space. Part ofthe building is rented out for textile manufacturing.

The area included in this nomination comprisesall the land and build-ings formerly belonging to the Woonsocket Company between Court and Bernonstreets, from the Blackstone River up to, but not including the commercialstructures and Police Station facing Front Street. The parking area infront of the mills is included in the nomination. Due to its proximity ‘tothe mill buildings, one small commercial building at 125 Court Street,occupied by Pierannunzi Shoe Repair Shop, is also t,ithin the area nowmed. ‘ ‘ * *‘ -

GPO 921.724

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- July 1969

Number eli enriee

P. ULL5 -

VI

2

F’

C-’

.P1

I&tLL, I32.128

*‘C. 3RLMS 1O-ro

- ILL1 31.

E. i:3r& kGCAk

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- .* * ‘ * p !cNIwsnb,,, _.

PERIOD Check One or More as Appropriate

El Pre-Columbion El lath Century * El 18th Century ‘‘‘‘ * El 20th Century

El 15th Century El 17th Century ‘ ‘:i 19th Century

SPECIFIC DATEISI if Applicable andKnown 1827, 1833, 1859, c.1900’AREAS OF SIONI FICANCE Check One or More as Appropriate

* - Abor iginal *" El Education El Political .:.‘...*J Urban Planning

El Preh,sIor,c El Engineering I IEl Rel.gion/Ph, D Other Specify

El Historic , Industry losophy ‘ ‘‘‘ I

El Agriculture 0 Invention El Science

________________________

Architecture El Landscape o Sculpture *

- 0 Art Architecture El Secial/Human

________________________

Commerce * El LIterature , itarian

________________________

El Communications El Military El Theater

________________________

El Conservation El Music El Transportation

________________________

* STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE,,

The Woonsocket Companymill complex typifies the moderate sized cotton

* textile operations so common in Rhode Island throughout much of the XIX‘ Century. The company was controlled by several of Rhode Island’s most

important industrialists, including Crawford Allen, Sullivan Dorr and -

o * later Moses 3.1. Goddard. The Woohsocket Companyemployed 250 to 300- hands and-produced between two and three million yards of cotton cloth

‘I- ‘ per year. This was approximately 1/5 of the production capacity of allu the mills in Woonsocket. Like all of the other textile manufacturing

complexes, the Woonsooket Company mills were adjacent to several streets,* of mill worker ‘housing, owned by the firm. The area was named "Bernon"

* for anli Allen family ancestor.

"‘I’ The Woonsocket Comapnymills in Bernon, though typical of many millz complexes of mid-XIX century Rhode Island,’ were noted in their day for

* - their picturesque topography, well-kept grounds and architectural quality.The ‘Greek Revival #2 Mill especially attracted favorable comment. * There

Li is but one other Greek Revival textile mill in Rhode Island which may bew considered its peer. The #2 Mill, so self-consciously classicizing, makes

many compromises in form deriving from a borrowed aesthetic rather thanfunction. The decorative details--the quoins, the acroteria ‘and ‘so on--are obviously non-essential. More indicative of the attitude which formedthe structure is the classically correct window-less gable roof, producingan unproductive attic space, and the supression of an exterior stair toweradvantageousfrom the point of view of fire safety and layout. Moreover,the interior structure of the building is not "slow burning" mill framing,which may indicate that the building was designed by an architect not familiar with the construction of industrial buildings. In spite of thesefactors, however, the building is still in use for the manufacture oftextiles, and thus ranks as one of the oldest textile mills in operationin Rhode Island.

In the context of their setting, these mill buildings are particularly important. They are among the most handsomeand well preserved reminders of Woonsocket’s industrial past. Situated prominently on thebank of the Blackstone River, the WoonsocketCompany mill complex is amajor link in the chain of visual accents which give form to the city’sheritage.

* ‘ 1,"

______ __

‘

4::

A. Primary and unpublished.*

, 1. Factory Mutual Insurance Comapny, Engineering Division,* Norwood, Mass., "Woonsocket Company’s Mills, Bernon, ReIe"

*‘-‘ Insurance plat and perspective of mills, Sheet No. 449,

c. 1870. Bound in album at FMIC office, Nor-wood, Masse2. Smithfield Town Records and WoonsocketCity Records, Woon

* *, * socket City Hall.,, - *, *. .- ‘ * * ‘ -

continued‘

Eo_2,oGRAPHIcAL DATA, - --

LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE COORDINATES LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE COORDINATES

DEFINING A RECTANGLE LOCATING THE PROPERTY 0 DEFINING THE POINT OF A PROPERTY

CORNER LATITUDE LONGITUDE

Degrees Minutes Seconds Degrees Minutes SecondsNW ° ° -

NE °

SE ° -

SW’ ‘‘ ° 0

LATITUDE LONGITUDE

APPROXIMATE ACREAGE OF NOMINATED PROPERT,,LJlna_

* LIST ALL STATES ANO COUNTIES FOR PROPERTIES OVERLAPPING STATE OR COUNTY BOUNDARIES

* STATE:’ ‘ ‘ CODE COUNTY ‘ - ‘* ‘ ‘‘‘ * CODE

STATE: * * - ‘ ‘ ‘ CODE COUNTY; ‘‘ ‘‘ ‘ CODE

STATE: * ‘ ‘ ‘‘‘. - CODE COUNtY:,, - ‘ ‘ ., * ‘ CODE

STATE, * ‘ CODE COUNTY: * : ‘ *, ‘ , CODE

FORMPREPAREO’BY - -

NAME AND TI TLE: ‘ *

Theodore Anton Sande, Architect; D.W. Chase, Researcher.ORGANIZATION ‘ " - - ‘ ‘ - DATE’

Historical Preservation Commission,’ State of Rhode Island 12/24/71’STREET AND NUMBER: ‘.‘ ‘ ‘ ‘

John Brown House; -52 Power Street *‘

CITY OR TOWN: -‘ ‘ ‘ ‘

Providence - -

STATE ‘‘ CODE

Rhode Island 02906 44

j3._STATE_LIAISON OFFICER CERTIFICA lION NATIONAL REGISTER VERIFICATION

As the d.--; inattd State Liaison Officer for the Na- ‘ ‘

‘tional Historic Preservation Act of 1966 Public Law

89 665 1 hereby nominatethss property for inclusion

in the National Register and certify that it has been

evalualed according to the criteria’ and ‘procedures set’

fqrth bythe National Park Service. The retommended* ‘ ‘ ‘ *‘,j’:,:level of significance of this nomination is:

I

National State El Local El

‘‘

- Name ‘, ‘ . -: ,

- ‘fl":’’,

Title * ‘ ‘ *.‘"‘.‘ *. ,

--

Date

, ‘ ‘

1 hereby Certify that’ this property is included in the

National Register

;, "‘

Chief, Office of Archeology and Historic Preservation‘ ‘ -

* ** ‘ ‘ -. ‘ --

Date"___________________________.- ,, -

AflEST:

‘ :.. , , , ,

Keeper of The Natic,naiRegisler

Date‘

V.

,rn

rn

I-fl

-I

C"

0

-,1

0

tM

R

Degrees Minute, Seconds

42° 004.77

Degrees Minutes Seconds

71° 30 ‘44.88

I

I

k

‘ii

GP 0 9 0 I -0 8 7

v:’w ,,

* F,rm 1O-300o‘JuIy 1969

Number nil entries

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIORNATIONAL PARK SERVICE

NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES

INVENTORY - NOMINATION FORM

Continuation Sheet

STATE - ‘ -‘

Rhode IslandCOUNTY

ProvidenceFOR NPS USE, ONLY

ENTRY NUMBER DATE

WOONSOCKET COMPANY’S NO. 2 MILL

Vol. 9,2. Bayles,

- County,Vol. II,

9. Bibliography continuedB. Secondary and published sources.

1. ,Ballou’s Pictorial Drawing Room ComDanion,1-do. 7 18 August, 1855. pp.104 -- 105.

Richard £4., History of ProvidenceRhode Island, NewYork, 1891. 2 Vole.pp.305 -- 306.

7’

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V‘ii

4:

I-"

GPO 901.082

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-,.--

---

---

.

--

-

--

.---------.

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR STATE

NATIONAL PARK SERVICERdp ThiAnti

NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES COUNTYprovidence

PROPERTY PHOTOGRAPH FORM FOR NPS USE ONLYENTRY NUMBER DATE

Type all entries - attach to or enclosewith photograph

Z N AIE Heinond, Znc., Woonso3cetWavirig Co., 1adcton V11y P1t+iA4o COMMON: & Pierannunzi Shoe Repair- AND/OR HISTORIC: Woonsocketconny! ernoi1I- LOAT1ON

o TREET AND NUMBER:

100-115 Front StreetCITY OR TOWN:

WoonsocketSTATE: CODE_jCOUNTYI CODE

Rhode Island 02895 44 I Providence 007z PHOTO REFERENCE

- IPHOTO CREDI B. Christopher BeneLOATE OF PHOTO: April, 1972

LU IrIEGATIVE FILED AT: Rhode Island Historical PreservationCointhission,j -‘ John Brown House, 52 fower Street Providence1 RhodeIs1ad,

DESCRIBE VIEW. DIRECTION. ETC.

WoonsocketCompany#2 Mill 1833Exterior frma the south-west

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIORFORM tO-aOl A NATIONAL PARK SERVICE/7a NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES

PROPERTY PHOTOGRAPH FORMTypeall entries - attach to or enclosewith photograph

LNAMECOMMON Hend, Inc., Woonzoc3cetANo/oR HISTORIC

Weaving Co., BlackstoneVa11y Woonsoc]cetCompanyBernonMillsElectric Co., Pierannunzi si4e Repair

INUMERIC CODE A..IgnedbyNPS

IJi

2. LOCATIONSTATE ‘COUNTY

Rhode Island ProvidenceIT0WN

I WoonsocketSVREET AND NUMBER

100-115 Front Street

3. PHOTO REFERENCEPHpTq CREDIT DATEac Boucher, for 1969H.A.B.S.

4. IDENTIFICATION

NEGATIVE FILED AT

I Library of CongressIi Washington,D.C.

DESCRIBE VIEW. DIRECTION. ETC.

WoonsocketCompany #1 Miii 1827-28Interior of attic, showing fraaingand clerestory monitor

GPO 932.009

N

H’SS

=,

I

IN::-;

4i.

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIORNATIONAL PARK SERVICE

NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACESPROPERTY PHOTOGRAPH FORM

Typeall entries - attach to or en c/osewith photograph

FORM 10.301 A6/72

1. NAMEcoMMoNHeiflond, Inc., Woonsoc]cetIANo/oRHusr.Qrnc

Weaving Co., BlackstoneVal]4y- Electric Co., PierannunziShe Repair

SOCk tBnon Mills

,1NUMERIC CODE A..Ign.dbyNPS

II

2. LOCATIONUNTYSTATE

Rhode Island I Providence‘TOWN

Woonsoc3cetSTREET AND NUMBER

1.GO-11.5 Front Street3. PHOTO REFERENCEPHOTO CREDIT DATE

Jack Boucher, for I 1969H.A.B.S. I

4. IDENTIFICATION

INEGATIVE PILED ATLibrary of CongressWashington,D.C.

DESCRIBE VIEW. DIRECTION. ETC.

WoonsocketCompany#2 Miii 1833Fourth-floor interior, showingceiling framing andtextilemachinery

GPO 932.009

///

/I

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIORNATIONAL PARK SERVICE

NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACESPROPERTY PHOTOGRAPH FORM

FORM 10.301 A6f72

Typeall entries - attach to or enclosewith photograph

L NAME

Woonsocket Company /COMMON Hemond, Inc., WOonsOCkNO/0R HISTORIC

Weaving Co., Blackstone Vail yElectric Co.; Pieranunnzi S Repair MillS

IINUMERIC CODE A.aIn.d by NPS

2. LOCATIONSTATE

Rhode Island1COUNTY

Providence

‘TOWN

I Woonsok&STREET AND NUMBER

100-115 Front Street

3. PHOTO REFERENCEPHOTO CREDIT B. Christopher DATE April, 1972Bene I

jNEGATIVE FILED ATIsland

I Historical PreservationCmmiejcn

4. IDENTIFICATIONDESCRIBE VIEW. OIRECTON. ETC.

WoonsocketCompany#1. Miii 1827-28Exterior from the south-west

.

GPO 3ZOO

prp

GEOGRAPHICAL COORDINATES

Latitude: 42° 00’ 4.77" N

Longitude: 71° 30’ 44.88" W

1Form 1O.3O UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR STATE

July 1969 NATIONAL PARK SERVICE Rhode Island

NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES COUNTYProvidence

PROPERTY MAP FORM FOR NPS USE ONLY

ENTRY NUMBER DATEType all entries - attach to or enclosewith map

wQonptweyiflq:yp; -‘Eiaeke oflevI1ey.E c.,o COMMON: Pternmiirzi Shoe Repair- °/‘" HIsroI:wnsket Cçmpany . .* ...

I- LLOCATIOHSTREET AND P4UM BER:

U- 100_115j Front StreetCITY OR TOWNS

WoonsocketSTATE: CODE COUNTY: CODE

Rhode Island 02895 .... 44 .. 007PREFERHCe

SOURCE:

- U.S. Geoloqica]. Survey;CALE: 1: 24,000OA1: 1969 ... . .

. .

RCQUIRMENTS

TO BE INCLUDED ON ALL MAPS

. Property broundari.s where requir.d.

2. North arrow.

3. Latitud, and longitude rcf.r.nc.. -

V

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