Bourne Mill
Also known as: Bourne Mill Division of Berkshire--Hathaway; Tiverton Industrial Park
Why it's listed
Bourne Mill is a large cotton textile complex on the Tiverton, Rhode Island and Fall River, Massachusetts line, beside Cook Pond. Begun in 1881, it grew into 23 mostly attached buildings of granite and brick on about 20 acres. The five-story main building and its east ell were designed by George A. Chace, the company's first treasurer. In 1900 the company built one of Rhode Island's first sawtooth weave ssheds, designed by engineer Frank P. Sheldon, to house thousands of Northrop automatic looms. The mill also operated a profit-sharing plan for employees and was affected by the crippling 1904-1905 strike that closed Fall River's cotton mills. Textile production continued under the Bourne name until 1953, then under Berkshire-Hathaway until 1961. Later it became the Tiverton Industrial Park, used for storage and now largely vacant. Roof collapses and demolition have reduced the site, but many original buildings survive.
Significance in brief: The complex is a substantial surviving cotton mill built in 1881 and expanded through the early 20th century. It reflects Fall River-area textile manufacturing, including an early adoption of Northrop automatic looms in a 1900 sawtooth weave shed. The mill is also tied to a long-running profit-sharing plan and to the labor conflict of the 1904-1905 strike.
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 06001190, listed December 22, 2006. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 844 State Ave., Fall River |
|---|---|
| County | Bristol County |
| Listed | December 22, 2006 |
| Reference number | 06001190 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | George A. Chace (designer of Buildings 1 and 2); Frank P. Sheldon (mill engineer and architect of the 1900 weave shed) |
| Architectural style | OTHER: 19th- and 20th-century industrial |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used for commercial storage and mostly vacant; the main building's mansard roof has collapsed and most of the 1900 weave shed has been demolished. |
| Coordinates | 41.67030, -71.17737 (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 06001190.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.