Nashua Manufacturing Company Historic District

Nashua Manufacturing Company Historic District is an industrial complex along the southern bank of the Nashua River featuring brick mill buildings, a clock tower, and a distinctive smokestack. The site spans multiple structures connected by canals built to harness water power for the mills.

The company started cotton production in 1823 and built a three-mile canal system by 1830 to power the mills with water. This infrastructure allowed the operation to grow and established Nashua as a major industrial hub in New England.

The worker houses and company churches scattered throughout reveal how deeply the mill shaped daily community life in Nashua. These buildings show the relationship between industrial work and where families lived during the boom years.

The district extends from Mine Falls Park to Factory Street and includes walking paths and open areas for exploration. Visitors can move through the site on foot at their own pace and view the buildings from multiple angles along the canal.

Mill Number 3, built between 1835 and 1836, remains the oldest standing structure in the entire complex and shows how early American mills were constructed. Many visitors walk past this building without realizing its age and importance to understanding how the site developed.