Last updated: March 26, 2022
Place
Ashton Mill
Quick Facts
Significance:
Historic Mill
OPEN TO PUBLIC:
No
Amenities
6 listed
Benches/Seating, Bicycle - Rack, Information Kiosk/Bulletin Board, Parking - Auto, Scenic View/Photo Spot, Wheelchair Accessible
The Ashton Mill is the centerpiece of the Asthon mill village. The large brick structure was built in 1867 as an upgrade to the Kelly Mill located across the Blackstone. It was situated along the railroad to facilitate the transport of the raw materials and the final products. The mill made fine muslin cloth and was in business until 1935 when the depression forced it to close. In 1941 Owens-Corning bought the building and reopened it as a Fiberglas manufacturing plant and Research & Development lab. Among the many products developed in the Ashton Fiberglas plant was beta cloth, the noncombustible outer layer of spacesuits that were used in the Apollo missions. Owens-Corning closed the factory in 1983. Today the Ashton mill contains lofts and apartments for Providence and Boston commuters.