Wilson Mill-Old Burlington Road District
Why it's listed
Along Vine Brook in Bedford, a small district of about nine acres preserves the site of a mill that began with John Wilson's corn mill in the late 1600s. Foundation remnants, a spillway, a stone-lined streambed, a stone arch bridge over the falls and part of the original millpond survive, though highway construction in the 1950s and 1960s removed much of the pond. The site later housed a paper mill, which burned in 1846, and then a sawmill producing blinds and sashes, and operations ended around World War I or the 1920s. Three houses complete the district: the Georgian Bacon-Gleason-Blodgett Homestead of about 1740, with brick ends and a Colonial Revival rear remodeling, and two Colonial Revival houses from about 1900 and 1924 tied to the Hunt family. The district is recognized for its settlement and industrial history and for its architecture, with a period of significance from about 1740 to 1953.
Significance in brief: The district is significant for its link to early settlement and industry, beginning with John Wilson's grist mill of the late 1600s, and for its architecture, which includes a ca. 1740 Georgian brick-end house and two Colonial Revival dwellings. The mill site was used for grist, saw, paper and blind-and-sash production until about World War I or the 1920s.
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 03000792, listed August 18, 2003. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Old Burlington Rd. and Wilson Rd., Bedford |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | August 18, 2003 |
| Reference number | 03000792 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | Ca. 1740-1953 |
| Architectural style | Georgian; Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Exploration/Settlement, Industry |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The mill building is gone, leaving foundation remnants, a spillway and a stone-lined streambed. Old Burlington Road no longer carries traffic over the dam, and the town acquired land at the mill site in 1999-2000. The three houses remain in residential use. |
| Acreage | 9 |
| Coordinates | 42.50091, -71.24436 (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 03000792.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q8023145
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.