National Register of Historic Places

Adriatic Mills

Worcester, Worcester County, Massachusetts
Listed
March 5, 1980
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
80000483

About this property

The Adriatic Mills was a historic industrial complex on Armory Street in Worcester, Massachusetts. In 1854 Eli Thayer (best known for his abolitionist activities) constructed a stone industrial building known as the Lower Junction Shop, He constructed the mill with stone chips taken from Oread Hill in Worcester. The fine stone was mixed with a mortar forming a concrete. Wooden frames were mounted and the concrete was poured in and allowed to harden - no masonry being employed in raising the walls. The original building was 400 ft long. 40 ft wide and 2 stories high. Mr. Thayer then sold his interest in the building to Charles White and J.P. Southgate. Afterwards, it came into possession of Benjamin F. Joslyn, an arms manufacturer. He manufactured the Joslyn rifle, the first breech-loading rifle, on these premises before selling them in 1863 to the Jordan Marsh Company. Jordan Marsh expanded and repurposed the premises for the production of textiles, and gave the complex the name "Adriatic Mills". It continued to be used for textile production into the 1920s. The complex was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980, at which time it was being used as a foundry by the Chromalloy Corporation. It has since been demolished (c. 2009) to make way for redevelopment.

Location

3-35 Armory St.
Worcester, Worcester County, Massachusetts
42.24691, -71.81301

Categories

INDUSTRYCOMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENTMILITARYARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

McCafferty, Elizabeth, Three-Decker
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0.2 mi
St. Matthews
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0.3 mi
Cambridge Street School
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0.3 mi
Cambridge Street Firehouse
Industrial
0.3 mi
Smith, Ellen M., Three-Decker
Industrial
0.3 mi

Questions about this property

When was Adriatic Mills listed on the National Register?

Adriatic Mills was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 5, 1980.

What type of historic resource is Adriatic Mills?

Adriatic Mills is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Adriatic Mills?

The period of significance for Adriatic Mills is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Adriatic Mills?

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