The Boott Cotton Mills complex is one of the finest examples of mill architecture in the United States. The mill complex you see today resulted from many decades of expansion and adaption.
[Top left diagram]
1830s
Four mill buildings were constructed here between the Eastern Canal and Merrimack River in the late 1830s. The area around the mills was open because of the fear and danger of fire.
[Middle left diagram]
1840s-1860s
In the 1840s the introduction of sprinkler systems into the mills made their expansion possible. The original mills were then connected to make two larger buildings, and a fifth mill was added. Open space vanished.
[Bottom left diagram]
1870s to present
The widespread use of steam power after the Civil War led to another round of construction. Four more mills were added and the earlier buildings were expanded. Eventually as the millyard was completely enclosed views of river, city, and canals disappeared.
[Photo caption reads]
Workers in Boott mill yard, ca. 1880

Sorry, but we don't have a picture of this historical marker yet. If you have a picture, please share it with us. It's simple to do. 1) Become a member. 2) Adopt this historical marker listing. 3) Upload the picture.

Show me all markers in:  Lowell, MA  |  Middlesex County  |  01852  |  Massachusetts  |  United States of America

The Rule of the Bell
The Lowell Sculptures: One, Two, and Three
In the Shadow of the Mills
Florence Patti Marion
Harnessing Waterpower
W.H. Parker Building
The Birth of an Industrial City
Brown, Fay, and Watson Houses
To Education
Lowell High School Clock Restoration

• GPX
• KML
• LOC

Have you seen this marker? If so, check in and tell us about it.