New England Blogs

Sunday, January 29, 2017

Boott Cotton Mill, Lowell MA

Yesterday I had the pleasure of touring and photographing a beautiful old mill in Lowell MA. Boott Cotton Mill was built in 1835 alongside a power canal. Lowell was a very important mill town during this time period. The New England textile industry declined after World War 1, and it collapsed after World War 2. This mill eventually became part of The Lowell National Historic Park.

The exterior:



The machines:





The Fire Buckets hanging on the wall. Notice how the bottom of the bucket is pointed, not flat. The owners of the mill had the buckets made this way so that the workers couldn't turn the buckets over and sit on them. They had to stand during their entire work day.


Random images taken inside:












6 comments:

  1. Beautiful photos and interesting post
    My father worked in a mill for a short period of time in the winter. Being indoors with all the noise was not his cup of tea.

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    1. Hi May. Yes, I can only imagine how noisy it was. They supply ear buds for visitors to the mill. Not all machines were working, and it was very very loud.

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  2. Carol those pictures are stunning! Great narrative too.

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  3. This is a really nice set, Carol.

    If I may be so bold, have a look at the second image (the outside view of the mill, including the reflection), in black & white.

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