Boott Mills

Boott Mills is an industrial complex made of several brick buildings along the Merrimack River, featuring large windows and external stair towers designed for efficient factory operations. The structures display the solid architecture typical of 19th-century textile mills, with thick walls and a sturdy layout built to house heavy machinery.

The mill was founded in 1835 and initially used water power from canals to drive the textile machinery. Over time the facility was updated and shifted to steam power and eventually electricity to operate the looms and production equipment.

The mills employed many young women from rural areas who lived in company boarding houses and formed the social core of Lowell's working community. Their labor and daily lives shaped the identity of the city in ways that remain visible today.

The site is now operated as a museum and open to visitors who want to learn about textile production history. It helps to wear comfortable shoes since you will be walking through multiple buildings and climbing stairs to see the different factory sections.

The complex preserves a working weave room where visitors can watch 19th-century looms and machines operate exactly as workers once ran them. This living demonstration shows how demanding and skill-intensive the daily work of the mill workers actually was.