Smith, Alexander, Carpet Mills Historic District
Why it's listed
Along the Saw Mill River in Yonkers, a thirty-eight acre complex of nineteen industrial buildings and six rows of workers' housing preserves the home of the Alexander Smith carpet company. Construction ran from 1871 to 1930. The earliest building, a worsted yarn mill, is a three-story red-brown brick French Second Empire structure with two mansard-roofed towers. Later additions include print mills, a castellated 1903 extension, and 1920s concrete post-and-beam mills with brick and glass infill that echo Bauhaus factory design. The complex matters for its role in Yonkers' industrial growth and in carpet manufacturing. Smith and his associate Skinner perfected a power loom for Axminster (Moquette) carpet, patented in 1877, which cut production costs by seventy-five percent and fueled rapid expansion. The river supplied water for washing wool and for power. The company closed in 1954, yet the buildings remain largely intact and now house varied commercial and industrial tenants.
Significance in brief: The complex is significant in the industrial development of Yonkers and Westchester County and in the history of carpet manufacturing. The Smith firm developed the power loom for Axminster (Moquette) carpet here, which cut production costs by seventy-five percent and led to rapid expansion. The buildings show the growth of the works from the 1870s to 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 83001832, listed August 11, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly bounded by Saw Mill River Rd., Orchard St., Lake and Ashburton Aves., Yonkers |
|---|---|
| County | Westchester County |
| Listed | August 11, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83001832 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architect / builder | Possibly Skinner (probable principal architect of early Smith buildings, per the form) |
| Architectural style | Varied industrial styles, including French Second Empire, castellated, and early twentieth-century concrete post-and-beam |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Smith Company ceased operations in 1954; the well-preserved buildings are now occupied by various commercial and industrial uses. Four of nineteen buildings are non-contributing due to alterations. |
| Acreage | 38 |
| Coordinates | 40.94276, -73.88136 (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 83001832.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4720108
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.