Windsor Print Works
Why it's listed
Windsor Print Works is a group of twelve brick mill buildings covering nine acres at Union and Cliff Streets in North Adams. The surviving structures were built between 1872 and 1897 and stand two to four stories high, with slightly pitched gable roofs, regularly spaced rectangular windows, granite sills, twelve-over-twelve wooden sash and corbeled brick cornices. Power originally came from a canal off the North Branch of the Hoosic River, and company-built workers' houses face the site across Union Street. Printing on the site began in 1828, when Caleb B. Turner built a small mill for printing cotton cloth. The works is recognized as the first cotton-fabric print works in Western Massachusetts, one of the first in the country, and the first U.S. mill to nap printed cotton flannels. Ownership passed through several firms before the company took the Windsor Print Works name in the late 1880s. The buildings are also valued as plain, well-preserved examples of late nineteenth-century mill design.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it was the first cotton-fabric print works in Western Massachusetts and one of the first in the country, and the first U.S. mill to nap printed cotton flannels. It is also presented as one of the oldest and most attractive mill complexes in the North Adams area, exemplifying plain late-nineteenth-century mill architecture.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 73000296, listed May 17, 1973. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 121 Union St., North Adams |
|---|---|
| County | Berkshire County |
| Listed | May 17, 1973 |
| Reference number | 73000296 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1872-1897 |
| Architectural style | Simple, straightforward late nineteenth-century mill architecture |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition rated fair; described as obsolete for its original purpose, with the site continuously occupied since 1828 and adaptive reuse as a community center for creative arts and education suggested. |
| Acreage | 9 |
| Coordinates | 42.70073, -73.10458 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 73000296.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q8024679
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.