Washington Mills~Change over Time
Panorama Views
For an historical view of the Washington Mills complex look at the Panorama views of Lawrence . By clicking on the image, you can enlarge it. Scroll right and left to capture the panoramic view of Lawrence and the mills.
Panoramic View from the north
Panoramic View from the north While viewing the image from the north, when you identify the Ayer Mill Clock tower (icon in our logo on top page left), notice the two large smoke stacks on either side. Then come forward. Those buildings are the Washington Mill complex. The one with the bell tower is the one being celebrated by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Panoramic View from the south. Panoramic View from the south
In this image the Duck bridge is on your right - notice the large smoke stack with black smoke spewing out - the buildings in front and to the right, are the Washington Mills.
History of the Washington Mills
The history of the Washington Mills is a snapshot of the textile industry in Lawrence. How to make the best use of the complex seems to be the historical question. This history includes massive investment of capital; changing yarns;changing owners; changing usage; financial failure and rehabilitation.
The original structure was the Bay State Mills, built in 1846 and put into operation the following year. They produced woolen, worsted and cotton goods. Due to the financial crash of 1857, the mills were shut down and in 1859 started under reorganization, the corporate name name being Washington Mills.
The Ayer Brothers of Lowell, MA (having made their money in patent medicines) were the chief investors. In 1885 the Washington Mills went into bankruptcy and were put up for auction. Fred Ayer bought the complex for $328,000.
At that time Fred Ayer tore down the old narrow mills (some were 9 stories tall) and sold the machinery for the sum of his purchase price! He then built a new mill complex with modern English and American machinery.
Ill-equipped to handle the textile operations, the Ayers brought in Thomas Sampson, who in turn brought in William Wood, son of Portuguese immigrants, at a starting salary of $1,800.00 a year. The board of directors had voted to abolish the cotton department and devote the entire complex to wool cloth manufacturing.
In the years to follow Wood would become part of the Ayer family, marrying Fred Ayer's daughter, Ellen, in 1888. By 1895 William Wood was the treasurer of the company. At this time Congress passed the Wilson-Gorman Tariff Act of 1894 that allowed cheap foreign goods to be dumped on the American market - thus causing the nation's woolen firms to face economic ruin.
This did not deter Wood - who demanded strict financial accounting and as much output from his machinery as from his workers (for which he is justifiably better known). Wood's style caused the Washington Mills to function in the black
By the 1890's business consolidation had grown tremendously and Wood's idea was to consolidate deficit-producing woolen and worsted mills. After an organization meeting in NY at the Waldorf Astoria in 1899, the American Woolen Co as born.
This giant conglomerate consisted of mills from not only Lawrence but also Fitchburg, Blackstone; 3 Rhode Island firms; and one New York firm - 8 mills in all. The products of the merged mills included men's clothing, women's cloakings and dress goods, fancy cashmeres, worsteds, French-spun yarns and ordinary worsted yarns. The Washington Mills was the oldest, having been established in 1858.
( Roddy, Edward. " Mills, Mansions, and Mergers: the Life of William M. Wood. North Andover, MA: Merrimack Valley Textile Museum, 1982.)
The Washington Mills, originally named Bay State Mills and one of the first mills in Lawrence, rebuilt itself by tearing down the original mill and re-building at the same location and then adding additional buildings. The mills swung with each financial rise and fall - eventually closing the doors.
Today with renewed interest in rehabilitation and historic preservation - Washington Mills is in the forefront - by preserving this hugely important structure and allowing it to remain relevant for today's citizens.
See also Washington Mills Building No.1: Preservation Award
MIT@Lawrence History Center ~ 2008
Monday, September 22, 2008 over 30 students and faculty members, Leon Trilling and Wesley Harris, from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge came to the Lawrence History Center.
Arriving at 9:00am the guests met with LHC Board President Pamela Yameen, Director Barbara Brown and Matt Russell. Brown gave them an overview of the history of Lawrence and information about the extensive collections housed at the History Center. The guests then toured the facility, viewing the collections, Essex Company documents; touring the walk-in vaults and the additional buildings in the historic courtyard. Interests ranged from engineering; public housing issues; public health and architecture. Many questions were posed but the recurring one was when would we be digitizing this extraordinary collection!
After viewing the site, we boarded a trolley to see the City first hand. When we arrived at the Great Stone Dam, an engineer working for Enel Corporation met us to describe the new engineering technology presently being installed at the dam.
Upon returning to the History Center after an hour on the trolley, the students and faculty then met at the Center with City employees, Milagro Grullon and Ellen Minzner member of LHC Board and City Community Planning Department.
For more about the day see: http://www.lawrencehistory.org/node/209
School Visitors Love the History Center ~
LHC Talks to Bruce about the Industrial revolutionstrong>
Read more at : http://www.lawrencehistory.org/node/147
Gates Elementary from Acton, MA
Read more about it here: http://www.lawrencehistory.org/node/162
School Visitors: Oliver School
Read more at: http://www.lawrencehistory.org/node/163
Guilmette Summer School Visitors
Read more at: http://www.lawrencehistory.org/node/190
Summer History Camp and Korean TV !
Read more at: http://www.lawrencehistory.org/node/174
Trails and Sails and Notre Dame High School
For more: http://www.lawrencehistory.org/node/207
ALERTA! U Mass Boston Summer Camp 2009 Read more at: http://www.lawrencehistory.org/node/297
Archives for Oliver School 8th Graders!Read more at
http://www.lawrencehistory.org/node/317
Transforming Leadership: The Dengler History Awardees
This years Denger Award was given to ten transforming leaders in Lawrence. The recipients were chosen by the previous Dengler Award winners. For more about this years awardees see:
http://www.lawrencehistory.org/node/181
Immigration in Lawrence~This IS Our Story!
Today, August 20, 2008, marked the groundbreaking ceremony for the United States Citizenship and Immigration Field Office in Lawrence. The ceremony took place at the site of the former Lincoln Foods Building, 2 Mill Street Lawrence, Massachusetts.
This is not the first facility to help immigrants in finding their way in the United States. Many non-profits have historically been offering the help necessary for immigrants to find a way to make it in their new neighborhood. As federal laws change, details get more complicated , places such as The International Institute, The YWCA, Benevolent Societies of many ethnic organizations have all been sources for information, solace, a few bucks and legal advice.
Some very special individuals also took up that call - Lawrencian, Alice O'Connor being a very important one of them.
In the archives of the Lawrence History Center we have a collection of diaries of Miss Alice O'Connor who championed the rights of newcomers to Massachusetts and Lawrence. A single woman who was born, raised and educated in Lawrence, at the height of immigration to the US, Miss O'Connor had compassion and a passion to help improve living conditions, education for immigrant children and to
develop just laws for immigrants.
To read the complete article go to: http://www.lawrencehistory.org/node/198
For more on Alice O'Connor go to: http://www.lawrencehistory.org/node/199
Fallen Heroes
Both men were named Alex; neither one was actually born in Lawrence, yet both hailed as Lawrencians; both volunteered for military service; both were missing in action; both had families distraught wondering where they were.
When Alex Jimenez was announced missing in action last year the History Center was in the process of exhibiting an historic post card exhibit at the Heritage State Park. The exhibit was prompted by post cards from WWII veterans who sent them to Finno's Pool Hall on Common Street so all the neighborhood buddies could read them.( See links to post card exhibit 2007 Lawrence History Center Post Card Exhibit
http://www.lawrencehistory.org/exhibits/postcards
http://www.nmrls.org/news/sep07/profile.shtml)
While doing research for the exhibit we located post cards from another Lawrencian who died in battle - Alexander Bern Bruce. As we created the panels about Mr. Bruce, Mr Jimenez was never far from our minds. At the time of the exhibit, we did not know if Alex Jimenez was alive or not. We included Alex Jimenez in the Park exhibit with our sincerest thoughts for his safe return.
Sadly, today, we know the answer. Saturday, July 26, 2008, a funeral procession on Essex Street and Funeral Mass at St. Mary's Catholic Church were held to honor Alex Jimenez.
Read more at: http://www.lawrencehistory.org/node/191
Eagle Tribune article about LHC coverage of fires
On March 21, 2008 the Lawrence Eagle Tribune published an article by Yadira Betances on the way the LHC has taken current news stories and placed them in an historic context.
"Twice so far this year the Lawrence History Center has reconstructed city history from the ashes of two devastating fires. "
See maps of the Market Street fire: http://www.lawrencehistory.org/node/131
Read the full Eagle-Tribune article!
http://www.lawrencehistory.org/node/148
Turn Verein Hall and American Turners
The historic Turn Verein Hall was devastated by a fire on Sunday, January 13, 2008. On these pages we document the history of the hall, the German immigrants who built it and its uses over the years. It is a sad loss of an historic building which was used and loved by thousands over its history.
Recent email from Carole Kulzer Brennan dated October 20, 2008:
This is to advise that Turn Verein was originally part of a nationwide organization (still viable) called The American Turners. Additional history information can be obtained at www.americanturners.org
Additionally, Turner societies are located in Adams, Clinton, and Holyoke.
Carole (Kulzer) Brennan
First Vice-President, Los Angeles Turners and District Council Representative to the American Turners.
To read more about the Turn Verien Hall History as well to read personal memories see:
http://www.lawrencehistory.org/exhibits/turnhall
Aine Minogue and Robert Honeysucker ~ Live Lawrence! WHAT A CONCERT!
Live Lawrence! presented a wonderful summer concert in our courtyard- over 100 people came out on the summer evening to enjoy extraordinary music, lovely food and summertime in the City of Lawrence. For more:
http://www.lawrencehistory.org/node/192
Cause of the Spicket Floods
When the Spicket overflowed its banks during March it was a serious problem for families and businesses affected, but it was not a surprise. It was the third major flood since 1987, punctuating a long series of less dramatic flooding events. The strategy currently being implemented is to remove a number of structures from near the banks of the river in order to permit it to flood without damage to property.
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Who Owns the Alleys?
Years ago, kids used the alleys to play “glassies.” The ragman’s horse and wagon clattered down the alley as he called out “Ah-r-raigs.” Residents protected the produce of their backyard vegetable gardens by erecting fences constructed of an eclectic mixture of wooden boards. Utility poles located in the alleys were handy for attaching one end of a laundry line, the other end secured from a back window, allowing cascades of clothes to wave and flap from each level of the triple-deckers.
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Henry K. Oliver
In 1852, the first high school class of Lawrence graduated. Immigrant City Archives will be marking the 150th anniversary of this event during 2002. Much has been said about the role of Charles Storrow in the development of the school system, but Henry K. Oliver is at least as important a figure in this regard.
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Summer 2005
Over a 20 year period, Urban Renewal changed the community structure of Lawrence. This issue examines that project.
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Winter 2005
The lead story in this issue discusses church history in Lawrence based upon the extensive collections of records at LHC. Also featured is the Preservation Corner.
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Fall 2004
The well-known Lawrence architect George G. Adams is the subject of the lead article. There is also a story on some of the important Lawrence musicians.
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Winter, Spring 2004
This issue remembers John V. Kelleher, a native Lawrencian who went on to become Harvard's Professor of Irish Studies.
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Spring 2003
Most of this issue is devoted to Lawrence based sports and recreation. First the baseball star Patsy Donovan, then the rebirth of the regatta on the Merrimack, and finally a mystery plaque dedicated to Lawrence boxing champion Andy Callahan. Note: We later discovered that the plaque came out of the old Boston Garden.
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Winter 2003
The central focus of this issue is Lawrence's 150th anniversary as a city.