Millville Village

Millville Village. . , In 1916 the Village of Millville seperated from Blackstone and was incorporated as the Town of Millville. The new town successfully faced the challenge of self-governing itself for just a few years. , Following the Great Depression of 1929 operations in both mills ceased. In 1933 Millville was forced to declare bankruptcy. The town was controlled by the Massachusetts Municipal Finance Commission from 1933 to 1945. , The Commission ordered the removal of many vacant commercial buildings on Main and Central Streets. Families of a great many workers sought employment elsewhere. Empty houses were demolished. Millville would never see a flourishing industry again. It became a "bed-room" town. , In 1946 all mill properties were sold with interior spaces sub-divided for use by small private operations. A large portion of the Felting Mill was destroyed by flood in 1938 and it was later demolished. The last buildings of the sprawling U.S. Rubber Company were lost to fire in 1978. , These serious visible losses of the industrial, commercial and residential architecture that define a town changed the landscape of Millville. It is fortunate that a significant number and range of domestic architecture survived to attest to Millville's role in the exceptional heritage of the Blackstone Valley. , ( photo captions ) , , Incorporation Day Parade Float, May 29, 1916 , , Incorporation Day Participants, May 29, 1916 , Photographs courtesy of Margaret Carrol Collection , ( back ) , The Longfellow School Yard and its immediate surroundings bear witness to Millville History, from the earliest days of industrial development along the Blackstone River to the present. , The Blackstone River was the source of Millville's existence. It provided water power for the early mills which determined the history of this industrial village. The river valley was an important transportation corridor that linked Millville with neighboring towns and the regional industrial economy, first by road then by canal and later by railroad. With a river crossing established at Millville in the 18th century, the village became an important, if small, regional transportation center. , Millville claims a heritage of agriculture and industry. As milling operations developed along the river, growth spread down from the farming areas and out from the river. A settlement known as the Mill Village emerged. , Here within a half-mile are those sites that reflect its past. Early mill operations gave way to thriving industries bringing workers to settle here. Churches, schools, hotels, social halls, commercial and residential blocks were found on both sides of the river. They, together with the mill officials' and workers homes, made up the tapestry of the town. , Central Street Sites , 1. Capron House, c. 1750 , 2. Harrington Block, 1850 , 3. St. John's Episcopal Church, 1850 , 4. Blackstone River Bikeway , 5. Hope and Central Streets Millville Lock and Triad Bridge Trails , 6. Grand Trunk Railroad Abutments, 1912 - 1915 , 7. St. Mark's Lutheran Church, 1892 , 8. Millville Cemetery aka Wilson Cemetery, 18th Century , 9. Wilson Cemetery Providence Street, 18th Cemetery