Assabet Woolen Mill
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Textile manufacturing |
| Founded | 1847 |
| Founder | Amory Maynard, William Knight |
| Defunct | 1898 |
| Fate | Reopened under American Woolen Company in 1899; textile operations ended in 1950 |
| Headquarters | Maynard, Massachusetts , United States |
| Products | Carpets, wool fabrics (including Civil War military uniforms) |
The Assabet Woolen Mill was established as a textile manufacturing complex by Amory Maynard in 1847, situated near the Assabet River in the northern part of Sudbury, Massachusetts. This location later became the Town of Maynard in 1871. After declaring bankruptcy in 1898, the mill reopened the following year under the ownership of the American Woolen Company, which undertook significant expansions. Textile operations concluded in 1950. Subsequently, the premises were converted for use by Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) as its main corporate headquarters. By 2015, the site had been transformed into "Mill & Main," accommodating a variety of small enterprises. Additional information on the utilization of these mill buildings can be found under Maynard, Massachusetts.
History
Along the Assabet River, near where the mill stands today, numerous grist and sawmills had functioned since the 1700s. The initial structures of the Assabet Woolen Mill were constructed in 1847 by Amory Maynard and William Knight. Positioned between a mill pond and the river, this facility specialized in producing carpets and wool fabrics that were used for Civil War military attire. Notably, the complex contains the oldest operational hand-wound clock in the United States, crafted in 1892 by Lorenzo Maynard as a gift to the town. This clock, made by E. Howard & Co., along with its bell mechanisms, is manually wound on a weekly basis; its four clock faces have consistently been illuminated by electricity.
Following financial failure in 1898, ownership transferred to the American Woolen Company, which modernized and upgraded the plant. Production of textiles ceased in 1950, and the site remained unused until 1953 when a group of businessmen from Worcester established Maynard Industries, Inc., acquiring the property to rent space to industrial tenants. Digital Equipment Corporation began leasing an 8,500-square-foot area in 1957 and gradually expanded their footprint, ultimately purchasing the entire 1.1 million square foot complex in 1974. This development led to Maynard being dubbed the "Minicomputer Capital of the World." Digital maintained its headquarters there until 1998 but had ended mill operations by 1993. In 1998, Wellesley Management acquired the property and leased it as Clock Tower Place. The complex was purchased by "Mill & Main" in 2015, which offers office and light industrial leasing and completed major capital renovations across its eight-building campus by 2017.