Lowell in Middlesex County, Massachusetts — The American Northeast (New England)

The Birth of an Industrial City

Photographed By Don Morfe, May 25, 2013

1. The Birth of an Industrial City Marker

Inscription. The opening of the Merrimack Manufacturing Company on this site in 1823, marked the beginning of America’s first industrial city.

The Merrimack was the largest of Lowell’s mill complexes. By 1848, it employed over 2,000 workers and produced more than 7,000 miles of cloth each year. Like its parent company in Waltham, the Merrimack combined all of the steps of cloth production under a single roof. No longer were carding, spinning, and weaving performed in separate mills. This integrated manufacturing system succeeded on a large scale for the first time in Lowell. When it closed in 1958, the Merrimack was one of Lowell’s last surviving mills, It was razed in the 1960s, a victim of the wrecking ball.

(Inscription next to the photo on the bottom left)
View of Lowell, Benjamin Mather, 1825.

(Inscription over the photo in the upper right)
The landmark clocktower and mills of the Merrimack, ca. 1875

Erected by Lowell National Historic Park.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1823.

Location. 42° 38.883′ N, 71° 18.6′ W. Marker is in Lowell, Massachusetts, in Middlesex County. Marker is on French Street. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Lowell MA 01852, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least

Paid Advertisement

Click on the ad for more information.
Please report objectionable advertising to the Editor.

Click or scan to see
this page online

8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. To Education (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Life on the Corporation (about 400 feet away); Harnessing Waterpower (about 400 feet away); Brown, Fay, and Watson Houses (about 400 feet away); In the Shadow of the Mills (about 400 feet away); W.H. Parker Building (about 500 feet away); Lowell High School Clock Restoration (about 500 feet away); Raymond A. Sullivan (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Lowell.

Photographed By Don Morfe, May 25, 2013

2. The Birth of an Industrial City Marker

Photographed By Don Morfe, May 25, 2013

3. The Birth of an Industrial City Marker

Photographed By Don Morfe, May 25, 2013

4. The Birth of an Industrial City Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on June 23, 2013, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. This page has been viewed 423 times since then and 19 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on June 23, 2013, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.