{"nrhp_refnum":"86001773","name":"Bemis Mill","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"1--3 Bridge St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Newton","county":"Middlesex County","state":"MA","lat":42.36532289100006,"lon":-71.20493462899998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1986-09-04","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Industry","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["state","local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A three-story, L-shaped brick mill complex at 1-3 Bridge Street in Nonantum, Newton, Massachusetts, beside the Bemis Dam on the Charles River. It dates from the early to mid 19th century and was originally a logwood grinding mill; the architect is unknown.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it is one of the oldest mill complexes in Newton and contains the earliest surviving buildings from Nonantum's growth as a manufacturing center. It is also an example of modest industrial construction with slow-burning mill framing and low-pitched gable roof. It retains evidence of the rolling dam control and the belt drive that powered mills across the river in Watertown.","narrative":"Beside the Charles River in Nonantum, this three-story, L-shaped brick mill at 1-3 Bridge Street is among the oldest mill complexes in Newton. Built in the early to mid 19th century, it was long tied to the Bemis family's mills across the river in Watertown. The site's history began with a dam and paper mill in the late 1700s. After the paper business ended in 1821, it was converted to grinding logwood for dye, and later served the Aetna Mills with a belt drive across the river. Handmade brick, granite lintels, a granite block foundation, and heavy mortised framing remain, along with part of the 1822 rolling dam. Concrete-block additions were made in the 1920s by an auto fabric manufacturer. The building was rehabilitated for offices in 1981. It was listed for its link to Newton's industrial growth and its representative mill construction.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Industrial vernacular","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Condition described as good; rehabilitated in 1981 for offices and in office use.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:13:01.723507-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/66/7921/63792166/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/86001773.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/86001773/f36a6da5b7-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/86001773/f36a6da5b7-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"User:Magicpiano","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NewtonMA_BemisMill.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">User:Magicpiano</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 4.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NewtonMA_BemisMill.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63792166","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bemis_Mill","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4885129"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/middlesex-county/bemis-mill-86001773/"}