Fox River Paper Company Historic District, complex of paper mill buildings in Appleton, Wisconsin, United States, built from 1883 to 1915
The Fox River Paper Company Historic District, now called Historic Fox River Mills, is a complex of paper mill buildings in Appleton, Wisconsin, built from 1883 to 1915. It includes the Romanesque-style Ravine/Rag Mills, the Italianate Lincoln Mill (originally a flour mill), and the Italianate Fox River Mill. The site retains a working hydroelectric canal and a privately owned generating station.
The Fox River Paper Company built the complex between 1883 and 1915. The Lincoln Mill was first a flour mill before becoming part of the paper works, alongside the Romanesque Ravine/Rag Mills and the Italianate Fox River Mill. Water power from the Lower Fox River has generated electricity since the 1880s, a tradition the site's canal and generating station continue.
The district is named after the company that shaped the town for nearly a century through its manufacturing operations. Today the buildings serve as apartments, though the historical structures and waterways remain visible reminders of the industrial life that once defined this space.
The complex is a residential property, so visitors view the Romanesque and Italianate mill exteriors from the public streets and paths rather than entering. The hydroelectric canal and the privately owned generating station can be seen from outside; the buildings themselves are not open for tours.
The Lincoln Mill began as a flour mill before the Fox River Paper Company converted it to papermaking, so one building on the site carries two industries' histories. The hydroelectric canal and generating station remain privately owned and working, separate from the apartments around them.
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