What Is the Whitinsville?
This is the mill and company town of Paul Whitin and his descendants!
What Makes It Historical?
On the heels of the Slaters, Paul Whitin and his father-in-law, James Fletcher, established the third cotton mill in the Blackstone River Valley and called it the Northbridge Cotton Manufacturing Company! This mill expanded into three by 1826, but the Whitin family didn’t make their fortune in cotton; they made machines!
It was in 1831 that Paul’s third son, John, patented a new, super efficient cotton picker, and the family formed the Whitin Machine Works (WMW) to sell machines to other millers. By 1847, they’d built their machine mill, called “The Shop,” which was one of the world’s largest textile machine manufacturing companies! They surrounded it with 1,000 worker homes, and while factory life was hard and dangerous, it wasn’t as bad living in Whitinsville as in some other company towns. For starters, the heating coal was free, and the landscaping and property management was included, like a modern apartment! This was good because, with six 11-hour work days a week, there wasn’t much time for anything else! Like many mill towns, Whitinsville was hit hard by World War II and competition from Southern markets, finally closing in 1976. Today, “The Shop” is a complex of 26 different businesses!
How Can I #HelpTheHelpers?
- Volunteer with the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor!
- Donate to the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor!
- Be a responsible visitor! Remember the old adages: Pack out what you pack in! Take nothing but pictures and leave nothing but footprints!
How Do I Get There?
1 Main St
Whitinsville, MA 01588
(Take Me There!)
When Should I Visit the Park?
There are no visitor facilities, but enjoy the outside of these historic structures as you wish!
More Photos
