Urban Studies and Planning Commons^™

The Revitalization Of New England's Small Town Mills: Breathing New Life Into Old Places, John Mullin, Zenia Kotval

John R. Mullin

This paper describes and analyzes the recent experience of communities in the six New England states concerning the revitalization of their 19th century mills and mill yards. It begins with an examination of the importance of these complexes to the economy of New England in the 19th and early 20th centuries and the slow decline of the mills into the present. It then identifies the factors that are now stimulating their revitalization and provides myriad examples of where success has occurred. This is followed by a section on 'Lessons Learned' from the experience, and a closing comment concerning future actions.