Monadnock Mills Historic Timeline

Monadnock Mills Historic Timeline. . , 1830's , The Sugar River Manufacturing Co. constructs Mill No. 1 for the purposes of producing cotton and woolen products. Two overseer houses and a boarding house are also built., 1840's , In 1843, due to the recession, the buildings are sold to the Parker, Wilder and Co. of Boston for an eighth of the original investment. They are renamed "The Monadnock Mills" in 1844., 1850's/1[8]60's , Mill No. 2 is erected in 1863 and the company produces some of America's first dimity, a corded, sheer cotton fabric., 1870's , A monitor roof is added to Mill No. 2 allowing the operation of state-of-the-art Jacquard looms that produce intricate woven patterns. The Monadnock Mills also begin manufacturing their trademark bleached white cotton Marsailles bedspreads., 1880's/1[8]90's , The mill ceases woolen production and concentrates on cotton textiles. Mill No. 3 is built in 1892., 1900's , Local ownership of the Monadnock Mills returns when Claremont investors purchase the controlling stock. An elevator tower is added to the front of Mill No. 2. Two gold medals are awarded to the Monadnock Mills for their Jacquard quilts at the St. Louis Exhibition., 1910's , A concrete dam, boiler house and electric plant are built furnishing power to the Mill and portions of town. Mill No. 6 is constructed and the Monadnock Mills purchases the Union Manufacturing Co. of Petersborough, NH. world war one keeps the mills busy producing 500,000 yards of bandage cloth and 200,000 sheets for the US Government., 1920's , Claremont, the largest town in New Hampshire, continues to grow based upon the success of the Mill. 14,000 bedspreads a day are produced to fill orders for ships, hospitals, residences and hotels, such as the Waldorf Astoria and the St. Regis. In 1927 the White House orders bedspreads of the "best Monadnock quality". The Mill fulfills orders for the Biltmore and Commodore hotels and introduces rayon in to their product line., 1930's , The Monadnock Mills is granted a patent for its new Marseray spread which comes in a variety of patterns, colors and materials and is known for its textured detail. In 1932 the inventory, stock, and machinery of the Monadnock Mills is sold to the Bates Manufacturing Co. of Lewiston, ME., 1940's , In 1943 United-Carr Fastener Corp. purchases the capital stock of the Monadnock Mills, and eventually moves the company to California where it begins manufacturing airplane parts during world war two and remains in business in to the 21st century. After world war two, a local group forms the Claremont Industrial and Development Corp. to make use of the vacant mill buildings. Royce Shoe Co. rents space in the mills. Beacon Label Corp., which later became Claremont Woven Label, rents Mill No. 4. The company starts with 8 looms and within a year doubles its equipment and weaves between 700,000 and 1 million labels a week for Arrow, Jantzen, London Fog and others., 1950's/1960's , The mill buildings come under separate, private ownership. A variety of companies, including King's Arrow Pine Furniture, Peterson Plastics (in Mill No. 3), Kimel Shoe, Chase the Mover, Reliable Paper, Claremont Woven Label, Arel Re-upholstery, and Wainshal Furniture, occupy the mills at this time., 1970's/1990's , In 1978, Claremont's downtown and mills along the river are placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The State of NH begins the renovation of the Monadnock Mills by renovating Mill No.1 and creating state offices in the early 1980's. Wainshal Furniture occupies Mill No. 2 and 6 with their retail furniture showrooms until 1987. Claremont Woven Label leaves Mill No. 4 in the 1990's for a new plant on River Road, 2000's , The City of Claremont, gains ownership of Mills No. 2, 3, 4, and 6, and issues a request for developers to rehabilitate the vacant mills., John Illick and the Sugar River Mills Redevelopment, LLC are selected to purchase and redevelop 29 Water Street (Mill No. 3) into market rate loft condominiums and 21 Water Street (Mill No. 2 and No. 6) into commercial space., Alex Ray who owns the Common Man Family of Restaurants and Rusty McLear, owner of The Inns and Spa at Mill Falls joined forces forming Woven Label, LLC and purchased Mill No.4, the former Woven Label building, from the City of Claremont., Nick Anderle, Richard Bolduc, and Richard Mann of Red River Computer Co., joined Woven Label, LLC and Sugar River Mills Redevelopment, LLC in forming Wainshal Partners LLC. The goal of the partnership was to transform the vacant 63,000-square-foot, Mill No. 2 and 6, (Wainshal Mill) into a 35-room Common Man Inn on the two lower levels, office space for Red River Computer Co. on floors four and five while floors three and six would be available for lease., Construction begins on [M]ills No. 2, 4 and 6 in May 2008 which is completed in May 2009. In the meantime the city completes a pedestrian bridge over the Sugar River, a new park, water and sewer upgrades, road construction, and embarks on the 4th mill project., The "Sawtooth” mill, originally the forge shop of the former Joy Manufacturing complex, is an adaptive re-use project creating 10,000 square feet of new commercial space and a 256 car parking garage., The first occupants, including the Common Man Inn and Restaurant and Red River Computer Co. move into the renovated Mills No. 2 and No. 6, now 21 Water Street, and the Woven Label Building and a ribbon cutting ceremony was held on 19 June 2009., Future , Mill No. 3, locally known as the Peterson Mill, will be converted by Sugar River Mills Redevelopment to provide loft style condominiums and commercial office space., [Photo captions, top to bottom, alternating left to right, read] , . Mill No. 1 and 2 from northwest, c. 1900's, . Historic interior view of a mill, Jarvis Paper Mill shown, . Mill No. 2 from northeast, c. 1900's, . Mill No. 1, 2 and 3 from northeast, c. 1895, . Mill No. 3 from southwest, c. 1890, . Mill No. 3 from southeast, c. 1895, . Monadnock Mills Insurance Map c. 1900, . Mill No. 2, 3 and 6 from south showing extent of buildout, c. 1920, . Mill No. 1, photo : UKA, 2005, . Mill No. 2, photo: Jet Lowe, 1979, . Mill No. 2 floor 6 trusses, photo: Jet Lowe, 1978, . Mills prior to construction, photo: UKA, 2005, . 21 Water Street after restoration, photo: Sally McCay, 2009, . Photo: Sally McCay, 2009, . The mills complex with the Opera House at the top left (1896), Mill No. 1 (1839) Mill No. 2 and 6 (1853 and 1912 Respect[ively]) Weave Shed (c. 1900) Mill No. 3 (1892 top story added c. 1900), photo: Sally McCay, 2009