Champlain Mill - Winooski, Vermont
Posted by: 
Vermontish
N 44° 29.379 W 073° 11.159
18T E 644236 N 4927859
Boom, decline and renaissance
Waymark Code: WM7R5R
Location: Vermont, United States
Date Posted: 11/25/2009
Views: 15
Burlington Mills opened this facility in 1835, taking advantage of the water power of the falls in the Winooski River. American Woolen Mills purchased the failing company in 1912. American, in turn, closed the mill in 1954, severely affecting the economy in Chittenden County, but especially in Winooski, where most of the workers lived.
It was not until the late Seventies when the building was renovated as the Champlain Mill, a retail and office complex. Two restaurants provided grand views of the falls through the large windows (one had an enclosed deck over the river and still had the mill's original ceiling fans operating, all driven by a single leather belt).
Most of the retail has departed, as have the eateries, but the building is in its third phase: the Winooski Free Library is on the ground floor and various offices are upstairs, along with Champlain College's Emergent Media Lab, where students take courses in such high-tech areas as video game design.
Current Status: Still In Use
Current Use: See long description
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