Antique Wood From The Great Falls Bleachery

Longleaf Lumber
115 Fawcett Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
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GALLERY OF WOOD SOURCES & THEIR HISTORY
Choose any link below to see another wood source

GREAT FALLS BLEACHERY & DYE WORKS ::
SOMERSWORTH, NEW HAMPSHIRE

Great Falls Fire
Photo Courtesy Mark Ouellette

During the early 1800's, settlers moved north from Dover, New Hampshire up the Salmon Falls River in search of water-power and land. They built gristmills and sawmills along the river as they went.

In 1823 the Great Falls Manufacturing Company,purchased their first mill, which included a gristmill, land and water power, for $5,000. Their business eventually grew to include three mills that spun thread and wove fabric. A three and four-story brick and wood bleachery as well as other buildings were added soon after.

After unbleached fabric was made at their mills, it would usually then go to the Bleachery and Dye Works building where it could be bleached to the white preferred by customers or be dyed in either one color or in a pattern, through a multiple-step process.
As was the case with many other rural towns across New England, the Industrial Revolution was changing the character of Somersworth. The town grew in size and increased the breadth of its economy as industries moved to the area and brought with them financial companies and service-related businesses.

Great Falls Beam
This is one of the original stamped beams

The Great Depression greatly impacted the city, and over the course of the years, many of the mills were closed or shifted to other uses such as shoe manufacturing. The Bleachery and Dye Works building, however, survived and until very recently served in the same capacity since its origin.

Recently, the old brick mill building that survived the years have been undergoing an exciting and challenging period of renovation.

In November of 2003, the Bleachery was devastated by a tremendous fire. In a collaborative effort by 23 fire departments from New Hampshire and Maine, firefighters were able to prevent the fire from consuming the entire structure. Currently, the complex is being renovated and timbers from the damaged structures are being salvaged. The new plan will allow these wonderful old buildings to see a new life, in service for a new generation.

All of the photos that show the Bleachery Fire are here courtesy of photographer Mark Ouellette. We thank him and invite you to see more of his work by clicking here.