Fiskdale Upper Mill

I still remember the long walk from where we parked the car. As we climbed the steep, winding road, the Fiskdale Mill gradually came into view, its silhouette a reminder of a bygone era. Just before reaching the main structure, we veered into the trees on the right side of the road, carefully navigating toward the entrance. Earlier, from the car, we had noticed no signs of recent activity around the mill, but we moved forward cautiously nonetheless.

The moment we stepped inside through a wide-open door, it was as if we had entered another world. The sight was almost surreal—piles of wooden furniture stretched out across the vast mill floor. Tables, chairs, stools, and other pieces filled the space, creating a maze of craftsmanship frozen in time.

As we moved deeper inside, the building’s character began to reveal itself. The back section of the mill was a stark contrast to the main floor. Here, the walls were made of weathered brick, their open-faced texture telling stories of decades past. The dirt floor beneath our feet was unpaved, and the temperature drop was immediate and striking. Cold air lingered in this part of the mill, so much so that condensation formed along the ground. It felt as though we had stepped into a refrigerator, nature quietly reclaiming its space.

Once we had thoroughly explored the ground floor, we ventured upstairs, curious about what secrets might lie there. The second floor turned out to be even more remarkable. The furniture seemed to go on forever—more tables, chairs, stools, and enough rocking chairs to supply an entire town. If there had ever been a market for rocking chairs, this mill had once been its unofficial headquarters. It felt like stumbling upon the ultimate garage sale, though this one lacked people, price tags, or transactions. What struck me most was how well-preserved much of the furniture was. Despite years of abandonment, the pieces were largely untouched by dry rot, mold, or the wear that usually comes with exposure to time and the elements.

Among the piles of furniture, two items stood out to me. The first was a broken festival gift machine—a relic that seemed out of place among the wooden creations. Its worn-out mechanisms hinted at a time when it once delighted visitors. The second was a stand-up piano, its delicate and intricate woodwork catching my eye. Though it was untuned and likely unplayable, the craftsmanship spoke of an era when such details mattered. Unfortunately, I couldn’t make out the brand name, leaving its story a mystery.

The Fiskdale Mill has stood as a quiet witness to the passage of time, its weathered exterior holding memories of industrial activity and community life. Today, its future hangs in limbo, caught between preservation and redevelopment.

Current plans for the site envision a transformation: a three-story building modeled after the historic mill. The design, first proposed in 2018, included retail and restaurant spaces with outdoor seating, ample parking, and a scenic Riverwalk along the Quinebaug River. It promised a nod to the past while carving out a new role for the site in modern life. Yet, as of September 2024, these plans remain only conceptual, with no progress toward turning them into reality.

The current owner has made some changes to the property, demolishing the office space area—the Fiskdale Upper Mill—built in 1972 near the road. However, the rest of the site, including the remaining mill structures, has been left intact. These structures include the dry can and bleaching building, which features an attached boiler house and carpenter shop, as well as a portion of a concrete block addition constructed between 1933 and 1952.

The south end of the site, where the dry can and bleaching building stands, offers a varied profile, ranging from one to two stories. These remnants of the mill’s industrial heyday are a poignant reminder of what once was—a blend of history, architecture, and the stories of the people who worked within its walls.

The Fiskdale Upper Mill, a testament to Sturbridge's industrial heritage, stands on the east bank of the Quinebaug River, with Holland Road bordering it to the west. This west-facing, Italianate-style mill complex, once bustling with activity, has seen much of its original structure, including the main mill building, outbuildings, and canal, lost to demolition. However, portions of the site remain intact, telling a story of resilience and evolution.

The remaining buildings include the dry can and bleaching building, which anchors the site’s southern end. This structure, constructed of brick with a shallow-pitched gable roof and a corbelled brick cornice, varies in height from one to two stories. Features like a centered vertical-lift door on its south elevation and small pedestrian doors along its west side hint at its industrial past. Many of these doors, now filled with plywood, reflect years of wear and changing usage. Attached to this building are the boiler house and carpenter shop, along with a concrete-block addition built between 1933 and 1952.

The roots of Sturbridge’s textile industry stretch back to 1811 when the Sturbridge Manufacturing Company repurposed a grist mill owned by Moses Fisk in Westville, south of the town center. This site became home to the region’s first cotton mill, launching operations with 128 spindles. By 1833, the mill had changed hands, becoming the Westville Manufacturing Company.

In 1827, Josiah Fiske, a Brown University graduate and practicing lawyer, and his brother Henry, built a cotton mill west of Sturbridge Center under the name Quinebaug Company. This was the beginning of what would later become the Fiskdale Upper Mill complex. Henry Fiske took up residence in Sturbridge to oversee construction and operations, completing the first brick mill on the site by 1828. Alongside the mill, tenement houses were built for workers, such as the James Johnson Double House (533–535 Main Street) and Fiskdale Mills Tenement (537 Main Street).

By 1835, the company was incorporated as Sturbridge Cotton Mills, backed by $100,000 in capital. That same year, Henry Fiske retired, leaving Josiah to manage operations. Josiah moved into the Josiah Fiske House (530 Main Street) to oversee the mill’s growth. Under the supervision of agent Simeon A. Drake, the mill expanded rapidly. A stone dam was constructed on the Quinebaug River, and a new stone mill, operational by 1836, boasted 10,000 spindles and 200 looms producing printed fabrics. The company also built additional worker housing and a combined hotel and store at 538 Main Street.

Josiah Fiske’s death in 1838 marked the end of his direct involvement, but the Sturbridge Cotton Mills continued to be a vital part of the region’s industrial fabric.

The financial Panic of 1857 was a significant blow to the mills, forcing their closure for about a year. When operations resumed, the company underwent a restructuring that set the stage for major changes. In 1859, James C. Fisk of Cambridge, Massachusetts, took the helm as treasurer. Fisk quickly identified the deteriorating state of the mills and their outdated machinery. Determined to modernize, he spearheaded the demolition and rebuilding of the facilities.

The Fiskdale Lower Mill, located at 559 Main Street, was outfitted with state-of-the-art equipment, signaling a new era for the business. Fisk also prioritized improving the lives of mill workers, renovating existing housing, and constructing new residences. These included:

Fiskdale Mills Worker Housing at 3 and 5 Church Street (1870–1898)

Fiskdale Mills Tenement at 554 Main Street

Fiskdale Mills Double Worker Housing at 584 and 588 Main Street (by 1857)

Fiskdale Mills Worker Duplexes at 2, 4, and 6 High Street (1870–1894)

Residences for supervisors were built between the Upper and Lower mills, including the Fiskdale Mills Foreman’s Houses at 598 and 600 Main Street.

By 1869, the company rebranded as Fiskdale Mills, and both the Upper and Lower mill complexes underwent significant expansion. At the Upper Mill, a four-story building with a three-story L-shaped extension and two central stair towers (one featuring a bell) was constructed. Meanwhile, the Lower Mill saw additions such as an 85-by-70-foot extension, a new tower, and an ell for the picker department and cloth room. These expansions allowed the mills to house 600 looms each, producing an impressive 25,000 yards of fabric daily.

The mills attracted workers from across the United States and beyond, drawing immigrants from England, Ireland, Canada, and Scotland. To support this growing population, the village of Fiskdale developed rapidly.

Fiskdale’s commercial and social infrastructure flourished alongside the mills. The Otis Block (originally called the Fiskdale Block) was constructed in 1875 between the Upper and Lower mills. This multi-purpose building housed stores on its first floor and a hall on its second floor, serving as a hub for the community. Around the same time, the Fiskdale Mills Hose House was built to store fire department equipment.

Religious institutions also took root. By 1857, a Baptist church was established near 518 Main Street (later moved to Old Sturbridge Village in 1947). The arrival of Irish and French Canadian workers led to the construction of two Catholic churches in 1883: St. Patrick’s Church, located on what is now the parking lot of the Sturbridge Cotton Mills Hotel and Store, and St. Anne’s Church at 16 Church Street.

The prosperity of the mills was not without its challenges. A financial downturn in 1898 caused widespread wage reductions across Worcester County’s cotton industry, affecting the Fiskdale Mills’ 400 employees. Despite a brief recovery marked by a 10% wage increase in 1906, market conditions remained volatile. By 1910, operations were reduced to just three days a week following a two-week shutdown.

By 1926, the once-thriving Fiskdale Mills, then operating as the Fiskdale Finishing Company, declared bankruptcy. A Boston Globe advertisement in June of that year revealed the company’s assets: two large mills, water power rights, and 26 residential buildings, including an agent’s house, a farmhouse, and a mix of single and multi-family dwellings. A subdivision plan separated the residential properties from the mills, and by August 1926, several residences were sold.

In 1927, the Golding Brothers, owners of the Southbridge Finishing Company, acquired the mills, breathing new life into the operation. They modernized the facility with new machinery and expanded production to include bleached, dyed, printed, and finished fabrics. The mill produced dress goods, shirtings, and tickings, adapting to shifting market demands.

The 1930s brought challenges and change. In 1934, the mills closed for three weeks due to a nationwide textile workers' strike led by the United Textile Workers Union. The strike highlighted workers’ demands for better wages, improved working conditions, and union recognition. President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s intervention through an arbitration plan helped resolve the dispute, resulting in a more organized workforce.

In 1935, the Fiskdale and Southbridge Finishing Companies employed 700 workers and shifted to three eight-hour shifts, adding 100 jobs. By 1936, employee wages increased by 10%, reflecting a period of relative prosperity. However, the Hurricane of 1938 damaged the Fiskdale Lower Mill, reducing part of its rear section from five stories to three.

During this time, the Golding Brothers also focused on employee welfare, constructing recreational facilities such as the Fiskdale Ball Field at 529 Main Street. By the early 1970s, the field, now known as Turner’s Field, was used by local baseball teams, including one sponsored by Turner’s Club, a bar that stood nearby. Though Turner’s Club is no longer operational, the ballfield remains a gathering place for recreational leagues.

By 1950, the mills were largely vacant, and ownership passed to Fiskdale Realty, Inc. Portions of the buildings were occasionally leased out, but the industrial heyday was over. In 1972, CPC Engineering demolished the deteriorated four-story main mill building at the Upper Mill complex. The remaining portions served as a laundry facility and a site for steel fabrication.

Today, the area reflects its industrial past while embracing a new identity. The Upper Mill, now owned by Banjo Boy LLC, remains largely vacant. However, the Lower Mill has found new life with commercial tenants. The surrounding residential properties, many dating back to the mill’s peak, continue to serve as homes or have been repurposed for commercial use, including the Josiah Fiske House, now altered for retail operations.

Fiskdale has evolved into a dynamic, mixed-use area, balancing its industrial legacy with modern needs. The corridor along Main Street is bustling with restaurants, boutiques, and antique shops, attracting visitors from nearby Old Sturbridge Village and Brimfield, home to a renowned antique market.

Though the hum of the textile machines has long since ceased, the spirit of Fiskdale Mills lives on in the community it helped build. The mills' story is a reminder of how industry shapes not just economies but also the fabric of towns and the lives of their people.

Sources:

1. (1918) Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Southbridge, Worcester County, Massachusetts. Sanborn Map Company, Sep. [Map] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/sanborn03856_006/