Mill River Historic District

Mill River is a linear village along the Konkapot River in New Marlborough, Berkshire County, Massachusetts. Its district covers roughly 425 acres and includes 92 contributing buildings and 11 sites. The river drops 129 feet through the village and powered eleven dams and mills in the nineteenth century, producing grist, lumber and paper. Eight of the mill sites remain visible as archaeological remains. Most buildings are wood-frame houses in a restrained Greek Revival style, built mainly around 1850 to 1870 for mill owners and workers. A few Gothic Revival, Italianate and Queen Anne houses were built for prominent residents, and two Romanesque Revival churches date from the 1860s and 1870. The town hall, library and school reflect classical design. The railroad bypassed the village, the paper industry declined by the century's end, and the last mill was dismantled during World War II. The village remains largely intact, with a general store and post office still operating, and it records the area's industrial and civic past.