National Register of Historic Places

Waucantuck Mill Complex

Uxbridge, Worcester County, Massachusetts
Listed
January 20, 1984
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
84002921

About this property

The Waucantuck Mill Complex was a mill complex in Uxbridge, Massachusetts. Despite its 2010 demolition, (except for a historic storage building) it is still listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The original Luke Taft Mill, built in 1824, on the West River was very close to the present site of the Waucatuck Mill complex. The Waucantuck complex was planned for a condominium and retail complex, underway in 2009. Both are very close to and virtually part of the Wheelockville District, where the Stanley Woolen Mill was built in 1852. Wash and wear fabrics were first developed at this mill in the 20th century. Products were produced under the name of "Indian Head". In the 1960s the former holdings of American Woolen Company were eventually acquired by a company by that name in Uxbridge, MA. Originally the Uxbridge Worsted Company had proposed a buyout of American Woolen to become America's largest woolen conglomerate. The Town of Uxbridge was synonymous with the textile industry and its earliest and later developments. The "Waucantuck Mill Complex" structure was razed in 2010 because of contaminated industrial wastes, and the main complex is gone, with the exception of one or more storage buildings, though the site remains. This remaining structure is site of original Luke Taft mill, Reference for historic photo A historic marker is planned. The site is the geographic center of the John H. Chaffee Blackstone River Valley National Historic Corridor, a region of national significance to the earliest industrialization of the United States. The Luke Taft Mill, and its successors were important footnotes in the early textile industry of the US. Innovations here included power looms, satinets, mixed textile blends, and wash and wear fabrics. National Register of Historic Places listings in Uxbridge, Massachusetts

Location

Uxbridge, Worcester County, Massachusetts
42.08288, -71.60787

Categories

INDUSTRYARCHITECTURE
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

Wheelockville District
Listed
0.3 mi
Aldrich, W., House
Industrial
0.4 mi
Granite Store
Industrial
0.6 mi
Central Woolen Mills District
Listed
0.7 mi
Farnum, R., House
Industrial
0.9 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Nipsachuck Swamp
1676Colonial
5.9 mi

Questions about this property

When was Waucantuck Mill Complex listed on the National Register?

Waucantuck Mill Complex was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 20, 1984.

What type of historic resource is Waucantuck Mill Complex?

Waucantuck Mill Complex is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Waucantuck Mill Complex?

The period of significance for Waucantuck Mill Complex is recorded as the industrial era.

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