Russells Mills Village Historic District, Historic district in Dartmouth, Massachusetts.
The Russells Mills Village Historic District is a village in southwestern Dartmouth containing about 40 buildings from different periods scattered along several interconnected roads. These structures span from the 1600s to more recent times and represent various architectural styles and building types from the region's past.
The district originated in the 1650s and became important when the Russell family built mills at Destruction Brook in the 1670s, creating a production center. These water-powered facilities shaped the area's economic development for generations to come.
The district contains Dartmouth's oldest surviving building from 1670 and a historical animal pound from 1831, both offering insights into early settlement and daily life. The architecture and arrangement of these structures show how the community developed over generations.
The district lies south of US Route 6 and spreads across several interconnected roads leading to different historical structures. Walking through the area is the best way to see all the buildings and their details properly.
The area developed around water-powered mills along the Paskamanset River and Destruction Brook where both grain was ground and lumber was sawn. This industrial use of water power shaped the landscape and community's fortune for a long time.
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