Press Releases

Providence, R.I. – August 22, 2003 – The National & Providence Worsted Mills complex, which developers want to turn into lofts and office space, has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The vacant mill buildings along the Woonasquatucket River in the Valley neighborhood were once the location of a major manufacturer of worsted textiles, at a time when the state dominated worsted production.

The listing honors the complex's history in architecture and industry. It also carries a practical purpose. The National Register is the federal government's official list of properties throughout the nation whose historical and architectural significance makes them worthy of preservation.

The listing makes the property eligible for commercial state and federal tax credits, which will help make the conversion of the property possible, said Sarah Zurier, spokeswoman at the Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission. The organization is responsible for reviewing and submitting Rhode Island nominations to the National Register.

Construction on the building transformation is expected to begin in September and be completed sometime next year, according to the Armory Revival Co., a partner with the Baltimore firm Struever Bros. Eccles & Rouse in the $49-million project. The project is called Rising Sun Mills.

The complex has been used, until more than a year ago, by the Victoria Creations jewelry company. Under this rehabilitation, the mill complex will hold moderately priced residential lofts, office space, and an arts and technology business incubator.

"Current plans to preserve the National & Providence Worsted Mills will save a significant landmark of Providence's industrial heritage while providing needed housing and creating jobs in the Valley neighborhood," Edward F. Sanderson, executive director of the state Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission, said in a statement.

The project preserves the integrity of the 13 brick mill buildings, which were constructed between 1881 and the 1930s. The complex includes several large one- to four-story buildings with heavy timber frames, red brick walls, flat or shallow gabled roofs, and large windows with segmental arches.

It also represents a powerful moment in the city's mill history.

During the early years, the complex employed 750 workers, produced 900,000 yards of worsted goods annually, and was the largest single consumer of wool in the nation, according to the state Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission.

In the late 1870s and 1880s, expansion of the worsted industry focused along the Woonasquatucket River in the city, which produced more worsted goods than any other city in the United States, according to the state Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission.

The National & Providence Worsted Mills were established then by Charles Fletcher, an English immigrant.

Fletcher rented an old mill building known as the Rising Sun (no longer standing) along the river in 1875, and produced mohair and genappe yarns under the Providence Worsted Mill name. Fletcher added more buildings to his yarn-making complex and established a separate operation, which he called the National Worsted Mill, and built more buildings to produce fabrics. The two operations were incorporated as the National & Providence Worsted Mills in 1893.

Later, Fletcher and his partner, William Wood of Lawrence, Mass., created the American Woolen company, which acquired National & Providence and other facilities in the city and Massachusetts.

Production of the worsteds and fine woolen goods was steady until the 1920s, and then fell off. In the 1950s, Textron acquired the American Woolen Company and ended production of worsteds at the National & Providence Worsted Mills.

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