Old Mill Site Historic District
Also known as: Shattuck Gun Shop; Porter-McLeod Machine Shop; Prospect Street
Why it's listed
Along the Mill River in Hatfield, Massachusetts, a cluster of mill buildings and a metal bridge preserve a working landscape that has been used for industry since the 1600s. The district includes the three-story Shattuck Gun Shop of 1881, a post and beam building with slate roof and cupola, and the one-story Porter-McLeod Machine Shop of 1886, later enlarged. A small gristmill and power house holds a turbine installed around 1915, and a Warren pony truss bridge built in 1891 crosses upstream. Thomas Meekins received rights to the falls in 1661 and built a gristmill and sawmill. Later owners made pistols, machine tools, spark plugs and corn meal. The Shattuck turbine, installed in 1917, ran until 1965, and the dam and power works survive. The site was listed for its integrity and its record of rural industrial life and mill construction.
Significance in brief: The site is argued to be an intact example of 19th century rural industrial life, associated with broad patterns of industrial history and showing distinctive characteristics of mill construction. It has been used for milling since the 1600s and employed many Hatfield men when other farming towns lacked industry. The original water turbines and related civil works remain in place.
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 82001911, listed June 2, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 48 and 50 Prospect St., Hatfield |
|---|---|
| County | Hampshire County |
| Listed | June 2, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82001911 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 (also 1900- checked; specific dates 1881, 1891) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Engineering |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Buildings are described as in excellent condition; the Prospect Street Bridge is closed to traffic, needs new decking and pointing, and is judged suitable for pedestrian use. |
| Acreage | 2.2 |
| Within district | Hatfield Center Historic District |
| Coordinates | 42.37116, -72.59643 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 82001911.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7084530
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.