Wamsutta Mills
National Register of Historic Places

Wamsutta Mills

New Bedford, Bristol County, Massachusetts
Listed
August 18, 2008
Type
District
Period
Early Republic
Ref No.
08000794

About this property

Wamsutta Mills is a former textile manufacturing company and current brand offering sheets, towels, bedding and other household products. Founded by Thomas Bennett, Jr. on the banks of the Acushnet River in New Bedford, Massachusetts in 1846 and opened in 1848, Wamsutta Mills was named after Wamsutta, the son of a Native American chief who negotiated an early alliance with the English settlers of the Plymouth Colony. It was the first of many textile mills in New Bedford, and gradually led to cotton textile manufacturing overtaking whaling as the town's principal industry by the 1870s. Wamsutta Mills became well known for producing fine quality shirtings, sheetings and other fine cotton products. The Wamsutta name continues to be used as a brand today, formerly marketed by American retailer Bed Bath & Beyond in North America and Brazilian textile conglomerate Springs Global in South America. Following Bed Bath & Beyond's bankruptcy in 2023, the brand assets were acquired by Indo Count Global, with plans to relaunch in 2025 selling direct to consumers online.

Location

New Bedford, Bristol County, Massachusetts
41.64943, -70.92589

Categories

COMMERCECOMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENTINDUSTRYINVENTION
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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The Soldiers
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Native Heritage
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Settlement
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The Community
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Rivers & Rail
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Nearby Historic Sites

Dawson Building
Industrial
0.2 mi
Smith, Bradford, Building
Industrial
0.2 mi
Union Street Railway Carbarn, Repair Shop
Civil War
0.3 mi
Acushnet Heights Historic District
Listed
0.3 mi
Hotel Waverly
Industrial
0.5 mi

Nearby Battles

British Raid on New Bedford and Fairhaven
1778Revolutionary War
1 mi
British Raid on Bedford and Fairhaven
1778Revolutionary War
1.5 mi

Questions about this property

When was Wamsutta Mills listed on the National Register?

Wamsutta Mills was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 18, 2008.

What type of historic resource is Wamsutta Mills?

Wamsutta Mills is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Wamsutta Mills?

The period of significance for Wamsutta Mills is recorded as the early_republic era, specifically around 1846.

Can I research the history near Wamsutta Mills?

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