Durfee Mills
Why it's listed
Durfee Mills is a group of about a dozen locally quarried granite buildings on Pleasant Street in the center of Fall River, built between 1866 and 1904. Two five-and-a-half-story Italianate mills, raised in 1866 and 1871, face each other at right angles around a central court. Each has a seven-level tower, and a 1872 granite office sits in the court. An iron fence with granite posts still encloses the square. A third mill followed in 1881, along with a boiler house, picker houses, a cotton house, two weave sheds and an engine room. Many of the older buildings keep their gable roofs with skylights. The company was organized in 1866 with $500,000 in capital and named for Major Bradford Durfee, a founder of the Fall River Iron Works. It was the city's largest single textile firm, making print cloth, and had more than 109,000 spindles by 1881. It was liquidated in 1935. The architect is unknown.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it the finest granite industrial complex in Fall River, outstanding in styling, scale, site plan, materials, detailing, craftsmanship and intact quality. It was also the largest single textile manufacturing company in the city, founded in 1866 and named for Major Bradford Durfee, an early promoter of Fall River's industry.
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 83000664, listed February 16, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 359-479 Pleasant St., Fall River |
|---|---|
| County | Bristol County |
| Listed | February 16, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83000664 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1866-1904 |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Acreage | 9.5 |
| Coordinates | 41.69830, -71.14907 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
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 83000664.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5316363
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.