The Roosevelt Mill
Hi Everyone,
I found another old factory in Rockville. Its an old sweater mill that was started in 1941 by three partners who pooled $500 together, purchased machinery and opened a knitting mill in Manchester under the name of Manchester Knitting Mills. In 1951, the company moved to Rockville to expand and settled in the first floor of what was then known as the Minterburn Mill that was vacant due to the demise of the woolen industry. In 1968, the company purchased the building, became the Roosevelt Mill, and went on to produce 12,000 sweaters per week at peak production. Sales were made to major retailers such as JC Penney and Montgomery Ward. The company remained fully operational until 1986, when it was sold to a new owner who did not share the same passion for operating a manufacturing company. Ultimately the mill closed its doors in 1988 and remains vacant to this day.
As I was photographing this building, a driver stopped and asked me why I would want to photography such an ugly building. I told him I simply didn't see it as ugly. When I ran across the mill, it was quite by accident because its at the end of a residential area that you certainly would not think a mill would be. Its built to hug a bend in the road going uphill. To be honest, I like its structure. To say that it has only been closed since 1988, it has the appearance of being in worse condition than the Hockanum Mills further down the road in town upon first sight. The first couple of floors are boarded and the remaining floors don't have any glass in them making the building look very hollow. Can you even begin to imagine what the moonlight must look like through it at night? From certain angles you can see structural items such as railings and stairs. If you look really close, you can see my son hanging out at the corner of the building :).
Its very easy for me visualize the vibrance and prosperity that the building once had so I don't see an "ugly" building as the driver put it. Just behind the mill is a tower and waterfall. I was unable to get behind the mill because its been fenced off by the State. As you can see from the graffiti, its obvious that people have been able to get inside the building. Can you see the stairs and railings?
I imagine many kids have gotten inside and ran up and down the stairs like a giant playhouse. I was thankful for the fencing because my son was clearly intrigued, lol. On the first floor, there are cutouts in the wood and I was able to see inside. It was dirty, but not anything that some polishing and dusting couldn't fix. I didn't see cracked floors or junk strewn around. It was relatively clean and spacious.
Below is a view from the end seen going uphill with the tower in the back.
Not bad at all for a building built in 1906. It will be interesting to see what will become of it. I don't think it should be torn down because it is a piece of the town's history. At one time it was a part of a very lucrative industry and could be restored, don't you think?
Til next time,
K
I found another old factory in Rockville. Its an old sweater mill that was started in 1941 by three partners who pooled $500 together, purchased machinery and opened a knitting mill in Manchester under the name of Manchester Knitting Mills. In 1951, the company moved to Rockville to expand and settled in the first floor of what was then known as the Minterburn Mill that was vacant due to the demise of the woolen industry. In 1968, the company purchased the building, became the Roosevelt Mill, and went on to produce 12,000 sweaters per week at peak production. Sales were made to major retailers such as JC Penney and Montgomery Ward. The company remained fully operational until 1986, when it was sold to a new owner who did not share the same passion for operating a manufacturing company. Ultimately the mill closed its doors in 1988 and remains vacant to this day.
As I was photographing this building, a driver stopped and asked me why I would want to photography such an ugly building. I told him I simply didn't see it as ugly. When I ran across the mill, it was quite by accident because its at the end of a residential area that you certainly would not think a mill would be. Its built to hug a bend in the road going uphill. To be honest, I like its structure. To say that it has only been closed since 1988, it has the appearance of being in worse condition than the Hockanum Mills further down the road in town upon first sight. The first couple of floors are boarded and the remaining floors don't have any glass in them making the building look very hollow. Can you even begin to imagine what the moonlight must look like through it at night? From certain angles you can see structural items such as railings and stairs. If you look really close, you can see my son hanging out at the corner of the building :).
Its very easy for me visualize the vibrance and prosperity that the building once had so I don't see an "ugly" building as the driver put it. Just behind the mill is a tower and waterfall. I was unable to get behind the mill because its been fenced off by the State. As you can see from the graffiti, its obvious that people have been able to get inside the building. Can you see the stairs and railings?
I imagine many kids have gotten inside and ran up and down the stairs like a giant playhouse. I was thankful for the fencing because my son was clearly intrigued, lol. On the first floor, there are cutouts in the wood and I was able to see inside. It was dirty, but not anything that some polishing and dusting couldn't fix. I didn't see cracked floors or junk strewn around. It was relatively clean and spacious.
Below is a view from the end seen going uphill with the tower in the back.
Not bad at all for a building built in 1906. It will be interesting to see what will become of it. I don't think it should be torn down because it is a piece of the town's history. At one time it was a part of a very lucrative industry and could be restored, don't you think?
Til next time,
K
Hi K! Great photos of the Roosevelt Mill! I was wondering if you've ever been down to Mill St in Unionville? It looks like they're restoring an old mill for retail space. Might be worth checking out for some cool photos. Just a thought. :)
ReplyDeleteHi and thank you! I haven't been down to Unionville so thank you for the great idea....I will definitely check it out! :)
ReplyDelete