Lancaster Mills
Why it's listed
Lancaster Mills is a large textile mill complex in Clinton, Massachusetts, set along the Nashua River at the head of the Wachusett Reservoir. Begun in 1844 by the Bigelow brothers, it grew through several building campaigns into a group of brick mills, shops, a storehouse and an octagonal office, ranging from one to seven stories. Mill No. 1, the weaving mill, dominates the site; it is a vast one-story building whose roof and floor are carried by separate structural systems. Later additions include the 1910 reinforced-concrete Amory Mill and a seven-story concrete and brick cotton store house of about 1920 to 1922, both associated with the engineering firm Lockwood, Greene & Co. Engineer John Chipman Hoadley helped build many early structures. The mills employed many women and immigrant workers before closing around 1931. Colonial Press later used the complex until 1977, and it then stood vacant until 1981. The site is also considered likely to hold historic archaeological remains from earlier mills and water-power works.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents Lancaster Mills as one of the oldest industrial sites in Clinton, developed by the Bigelow brothers from 1844 and expanded over several decades. It retains a large, unusual weaving mill, later concrete mills and a cotton store house designed by the engineering firm Lockwood, Greene & Co., and engineer John Chipman Hoadley was involved in building many early structures. The site also has high potential for historic archaeological resources.
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 10000005, listed January 29, 2010. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1-55, 75, 99, 1-R Green St., 20 Cameron St., Clinton |
|---|---|
| County | Worcester County |
| Listed | January 29, 2010 |
| Reference number | 10000005 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architect / builder | Lockwood, Greene & Co. (Mill No. 3 era additions, Office Building addition 1918, Cotton Store House); John Chipman Hoadley, civil engineer for many early buildings |
| Architectural style | 19th and 20th Century Industrial; Late Victorian/Italianate |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History, Engineering, Industry |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Current function listed as vacant/not in use in the form; some buildings are used by a cereal manufacturer for warehousing and production, and Mill No. 1 was acquired for rehabilitation into residential and commercial space. |
| Acreage | 29.1 |
| Coordinates | 42.41189, -71.67937 (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 10000005.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q16931939
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.