On the Boards: Fall River's Abandoned Wyoming Thread Company Textile Mill Gets a New Lease on Life with Mixed-Use Development Plans

FALL RIVER, MA     -     We are thrilled to share the newest project on our boards: the redevelopment of the Wyoming Thread Company mill complex in Fall River. This historic site dates back to 1845 when it was the home of the Wyoming Thread Company, manufacturing cotton twine. At the turn of the century, the mill was taken over by the James Marshall & Bros. Hat Factory who then added the large brick building to the site and grew to be one of the largest hat manufacturers in the world, producing over 7,000 hats per day and employing around 1500 people.

By the 1920s the factory was taken over by the Elgin Silk Company - the only silk company in Fall River, producing linings and dress silks. The building was most recently operated by Duro Industries, a textile dyeing and finishing company and a division of Duro Textiles, LLC. Founded in 1947, Duro Industries was one of the country's largest dyers, printers, finishers and distrubutors of textiles and employed more than 1200 people, supplying camoflouge and other textiles to the US military, among many others. As the textile industry declined in the US, Duro went through several reorganizations, downsizing to try and stay afloat. They finally shuttered their doors for good in the Summer of 2016, abruptly ceasing operations and laying off about 150 remaining employees. Their properties were declared abandoned by the city and have since continued to fall into disrepair. 

But the building will breathe new life! It is amazing how many lives these old New England structures can take on. It takes a commitment to preserving history and a vision for the future to take on a project of this size. We are excited to be a part of the team that will bring this historic site back to life. Our client's plans are to result in a mixed use development, with somewhere between 200-300 apartment units and commercial space and the design process is officially underway. 

Stay tuned for future updates!