7 South Stone Mill Drive is a condominium complex built out of Dedham Granite. Before being converted into residential use in the 1980s, it was a

Mother Brook Mother Brook is an artificial waterway in Dedham, and Hyde Park, Massachusetts, and the first man-made canal in the present-day United States. Constructed in 1639 by settlers of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, it diverts water from the Charles R ...

mill that made a variety of products.

History

The building is located at the fourth privilege on Mother Brook and was used to make a variety of products in the 19th century, including copper cents, paper, cotton, wool, carpets, and handkerchiefs. In the 1780s another mill, connected by the same wheel, was constructed on the site to produce wire for the new nation's nascent textile industry. The first mill on this site burned in 1809, but was rebuilt with a new raceway and foundation. The second mill began producing nails in 1814, and five years later its owner, Ruggles Whiting of Boston, sold it to the owner of the first mill, George Bird, who began using the whole site to manufacture paper. In 1823 it switched to cotton, using the machinery of the former Norfolk Cotton Company. In 1835 a new stone mill was erected. It stands today, and was converted into a condominium complex in 1986–87. Unlike the other mills, which were constructed in a strictly utilitarian style, this factory boasted a date stone reading "1835" and a dome-roofed cupola over the mill bell. Together they stood as a testament to the primacy of the mills in the neighborhood. The mill at the fourth privilege, under the ownership of Bussey and with his agent, George H. Kuhn, was among the first to install water-powered broad

loom A loom is a device used to weaving, weave cloth and tapestry. The basic purpose of any loom is to hold the Warp (weaving), warp threads under tension (mechanics), tension to facilitate the interweaving of the weft threads. The precise shape of ...

s. The looms enabled raw wool to enter the mills, be spun into thread, and then weaved into finished fabric, all under a single roof.

Fires

During the lunch break at the Cochrane Mill, a fire broke out on April 4, 1911 that quickly engulfed the mill. There were 25 employees inside, including one who was taking a nap. Another fire broke out in the mill on May 2, 1984. This time, the mill was owned by the United Waste Company.

Chronological chart

Notes

References

Works cited

* * * * * * * * {{Coord, 42.24548, -71.15127, display=title Buildings and structures in Dedham, Massachusetts Condominiums in the United States History of Dedham, Massachusetts 1835 establishments in Massachusetts Textile mills in Massachusetts