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| Grist Mill at Factory Square around 1900. |
Mark your calendars for Friday, October 11, 2013 when we will be "History Walking" on Factory Square. See the end of this post for the route we plan to follow. If you are not on our email list please send a request so you will receive the map and pictures that will be emailed to our list before the walk.
A PEEK AT THE HISTORY...
The first mills - a grist mill and sawmill - were built in this area of Readfield by James Craig. Soon after that Robert Cornforth built a woolen mill, and other mills and operators followed until there were more than a dozen factories and businesses in this relatively small section of Readfield. For more than 150 years Factory Square was a busy industrial center. There were, at one time, four dams between the head of Torsey Pond - called Bean's Mills - and Mill Stream Road (now a public trail). There were three mill ponds within that area, in addition to Torsey Pond west of there. Manufacturing and business activity started to subside with the advent of the railroad, road travel and easier access to larger mills and industrial centers. In the flood of 1987 two of the dams and bridges (Giles Road and Mill Stream Road) were destroyed. Today there is very little evidence that gives the unknowing eye any hint of the activity that once was.
A PEEK AT THE HISTORY...
The first mills - a grist mill and sawmill - were built in this area of Readfield by James Craig. Soon after that Robert Cornforth built a woolen mill, and other mills and operators followed until there were more than a dozen factories and businesses in this relatively small section of Readfield. For more than 150 years Factory Square was a busy industrial center. There were, at one time, four dams between the head of Torsey Pond - called Bean's Mills - and Mill Stream Road (now a public trail). There were three mill ponds within that area, in addition to Torsey Pond west of there. Manufacturing and business activity started to subside with the advent of the railroad, road travel and easier access to larger mills and industrial centers. In the flood of 1987 two of the dams and bridges (Giles Road and Mill Stream Road) were destroyed. Today there is very little evidence that gives the unknowing eye any hint of the activity that once was.
There is no school on this day - we welcome school aged children (and their adult chaperones) who have interest in their town's history to join the group. We appreciate RSVPs so we will have an idea of how many participants we can expect - email crossings4u@gmail.com
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10am start at the
town office (RTO) à Old Kents Hill Road;
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Enter north entrance
Mill Stream Road / trail;
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Giles Road (Factory
Street);
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Back onto Old Kents
Hill Road;
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Left towards
Cornforth house for a walkabout;
Ø
Walk on to Bean’s
Mills (at group’s discretion);
Ø
Return via Old Kents
Hill Road and see the dam and site of old mill pond;
Ø
Walk back to RTO via
Old Kents Hill Road;
Ø
Choose a nice
outdoor space to share our lunch / sandwiches.
After this History Walk I did additional research about some of the ground we covered on 10/11/2013. Follow this link to read more about Factory Square:
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