History Of The Mills
The Eclipse Mill
Built in 1896, the Eclipse Mill, now home to artists’ lofts and studios, was once part of a much larger mill complex that comprised much of Union Street at the turn of the century.
The mill was home to a portion of the Arnold Print Works. It was purchased by the Hoosac Mill Corporation of Boston, a woolen company, in 1911, along with what is now known as the NoAMA Mill across the street.
Later on, in the early 1950's, the mill was acquired by the Sprague Electric Company, which manufactured capacitor parts there until 1971, when Sprague began shutting down its local operations. It was later purchased by the X-Tyal Corp., a manufacturer of military items.
The X-Tyal Corp. went bankrupt in the early 1990s, leaving the building vacant. From 2002 to 2005, artist and developer Eric Rudd began renovating the building, creating work and living space for artists in 40 lofts on the four floors.
In 2005, the artists who had just moved into the mill, held the first “Open Studios” in the city, inviting the outside community into their homes and work spaces.
Many studios are open by appointment. To view artists’ work and contact information, visit www.eclipsemill.com
Located at Eclipse Mill:
River Hill Pottery – www.riverhillpottery.com
Brill Gallery – www.brillgallery109.com
Eclipse Mill Gallery – www.eclipsemillgallery.com
The NoAMA Mill
Situated across the street from the Eclipse Mill, the NoAMA Mill was built in 1902 as the weave shed for the Arnold Print Works.
It was purchased in 1911 by the Hoosac Mill Corp. of Boston, a woolen company, along with the Eclipse Mill. The two mills were originally connected by two large bridges that crossed over Union Street.
Hunter Outdoor Products, which manufactured down-filled sleeping bags and other cloth camping material, briefly used the mill as its base of operations in the 1970s and early 1980s. In the 1982, the building became home to the Delftree Shiitake Mushroom Farm, which remained in the building until the mill was sold to Ariel Sutain a few years ago.
Today the mill is a mix of storage and light-manufacturing space, along with studio space and the Stack Gallery. In 2008, the building became part of North Adams Open Studios, opening its massive mill space to “artists outside their studios,” a showcase of artists from the Berkshires.
The Beaver Mill
The Beaver Mill, originally a 19th century cloth works, became the first home of the Sprague Electric Co. in North Adams, when the company moved to the city from Quincy in 1930. In 1942, Sprague moved the majority of its plant to the former Arnold Print Works site in the city’s downtown, now home to the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA). Limited production continued at the Beaver Street mill until 1972, when Sprague shut down several city plants. In 1977, the mill was donated to the Economic Development Corp. of Northern Berkshire, which leased the mill to various manufacturing tenants throughout the 1980s.
In 1990, the 150,000-square-foot mill was purchased by sculptor and real estate developer Eric Rudd, who converted the building into living and studio space for students of the Berkshire School of Contemporary Art (later known as the Contemporary Artists Center).
Although the Contemporary Artists Center has moved to a new home in Troy, N.Y., a new organization, the Berkshire Artists Colony has taken its place and the mill continues to thrive as an incubator for artists and creative economy businesses, providing artist studios and living space for individuals and arts-related businesses, which include web design, media, movement and craft.
Located at Beaver Mill:
Gallery 21 South - http://studio21south.blogspot.com/
The Windsor Mill
Although the Windsor Mill was opened as the first print works in Western Massachusetts, the 19th century mill has been home to artists since 1973, when it was converted into an arts and crafts center.
Founded in 1829 by Caleb Turner, the Windsor Print Works would fast become one of the leading companies to specialize in the fine printing of cotton materials. By 1891, the Windsor name was known for its quality across the United States.
During the 1920s, the North Adams plant would become an integral part of the Consolidated Textile Co. holdings, serving as the main finishing plant for the company’s southern mills. Spread across 18 buildings along the northern side of Union Street, the print works would specialize in the bleaching, dying, printing and napping of cotton and flannel materials until Consolidated Textile folded in 1956. Owner Lester Martin blamed foreign competition for the company’s demise.
The main mill building, now known as the Windsor Mill, was purchased in 1960 by Stanley Shapiro of North Adams, but was mostly used for storage until 1973 when it came under the management of the Economic Development Corp. of Northern Berkshire, which established the building as an arts and craft center.
The City of North Adams took possession of the building in the 1980s and it has continued to host a mix of arts-related businesses, galleries and light manufacturing over the years.
Sources: North Adams Transcript archives, Local historian Paul Marino