Crane and Company Old Stone Mill Rag Room, Paper manufacturing landmark in Dalton, Massachusetts.
Crane and Company Old Stone Mill Rag Room is a gray fieldstone building with a slate roof in Dalton that processed paper materials for currency manufacturing. The spacious interior once contained the machinery and workers needed for cotton preparation and now displays historical equipment and artifacts from the papermaking trade.
The building was constructed in 1844 and became essential to Crane and Company's specialized paper production operations. The company has maintained an unbroken contract with the United States Treasury Department since 1879 to supply paper for currency.
The site inspired writer Herman Melville to pen his story 'The Paradise of Bachelors and the Tartarus of Maids' after visiting in 1851. His narrative captured his observations of the workers and industrial environment he witnessed here.
The site now operates as the Crane Museum of Papermaking with exhibits showing how paper was historically produced. Visitors should allow adequate time to view the machinery and displays explaining the various production stages and techniques used.
The building holds one of America's longest-running business relationships with the federal government, supplying specialized paper for currency for over 140 years. This sustained partnership makes the site a rare example of industrial continuity across generations.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
