Boston Manufacturing Company (Waltham mills)
Boston Manufacturing Company (historic), Waltham, Massachusetts
The Boston Manufacturing Company, chartered in 1813 by Francis Cabot Lowell and partners, built its first mill on the Charles River in Waltham in 1814 and began making cotton cloth in 1815. It was the first U.S. mill to mechanize spinning and weaving under one roof, a model copied at Lowell and across New England. Three early mill buildings survive as a National Historic Landmark.
- Company
- Boston Manufacturing Company (historic)
- Status
- Closed
- Opened
- 1814
- Employees
- Not stated
- Industry
- Other manufacturing
- Revised
- November 12, 2026
What is made here
Cotton cloth, made in the first U.S. mill to combine mechanized spinning and weaving under one roof.
Facts
| Founding | Chartered February 23, 1813 by Francis Cabot Lowell, Patrick T. Jackson and associates; the first mill was built from late 1813 to November 1814 under Paul Moody (federal: npgallery.nps.gov) |
|---|---|
| Integrated factory | Combined spinning and weaving under one roof and mechanized the whole process; historians quoted in the nomination call it the first truly modern factory in the United States (federal: npgallery.nps.gov) |
| Products | First produced cotton cloth in early 1815, using a power loom developed by Lowell and Moody by the end of 1814 (federal: npgallery.nps.gov) |
| Surviving mills | Three pre-1850 brick mills (1814, 1816, 1843) remain, connected end to end in a structure about 320 feet long (federal: npgallery.nps.gov) |
| Legacy and today | Designated a National Historic Landmark December 22, 1977; the site now houses the Charles River Museum of Industry and Innovation and housing (reference: en.wikipedia.org) |
Figures are as stated by the source named next to each one. Company figures are the company's own claims.
Can you visit?
Yes: Samuel Adams Boston Brewery Tour has hours, booking and age rules checked on the operator's site.
Sources
- NPS National Register nomination: Boston Manufacturing Company (federal, checked November 12, 2026)
- Wikipedia: Boston Manufacturing Company (reference, checked November 12, 2026)
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