Address: North of 265 North Main Street
Contemporary Building Name: N/A
Historic Building Name: Marlborough Mills
Present Use: N/A
Historic Use: Textile Manufacturing
Architectural style: Industrial
Date constructed: c. 1870s
Significance: “The Marlborough Manufacturing Company was incorporated in 1815, the north factory being built first, with some other smaller buildings, but later the company failed and these buildings were sold to the Union Manufacturing Company. The Union Manufacturing Company began operating this mill, and later built the lower mill and several dwellings. This property was greatly increased in value as the years went on, and the homes of the operatives furnished a market for much of the produce of the farms of the town. The fabric manufactured was a blue cotton stripe, the market for which was found in the south among the cotton planters, for the clothing of the slaves. During the Civil War there was no demand for the cloth, and no cotton, and the mills stood idle. The old mill was destroyed by fire in 1861, and the new one in 1864, together with many of the dwellings which had been occupied by the operatives of the mill. The mills when burned were owned by Isaac Allen. Since then a new mill and some dwellings have been built, and silk ribbon was manufactured for a short time, but now (1903) the mill is silent and the dwellings vacant.” Shortly after this description was written, in 1907, the mill burned down, leaving only the foundation.
Sources: Hall, Mary. Report of the Celebration of the Incorporation of the Town of Marlborough, August 23 and 25, 1903. Hartford: The Case, Lockwood and Brainard Company. 1904.
Notes: Postcard view of the main mill buildings, c. 1905.