Bay Mill - East Greenwich Historic District - East Greenwich, RI
Posted by: 
NorStar
N 41° 39.740 W 071° 26.758
19T E 296356 N 4615176
The Bay Mill at the base of the hill and near the bay is an example of steam powered manufacturing factories that were built in the area.
Waymark Code: WMM2JR
Location: Rhode Island, United States
Date Posted: 07/08/2014
Views: 3
In East Greenwich, at the base of a slope traversed by King Street, is the Bay Mill building.
The mill is located at the intersection of King Street and Water Street, on the south side of the intersection. It is also near the stone arch railroad bridge over King Street.
The building is a grey structure with two distinct parts: a 3 1/2 story tall portion with many framed windows, and a 1 1/2 story portion with a door and two windows. The shorter part also has a distinctive mansard roof, while the other has a monitor style dormer through the roof. Another extension is visible on the west side of the building.
I saw no indication of the current occupant in the building, so I'm not sure if one is there.
Documentation from the RI Historical Preservation Commission indicates that this was a steam mill built in 1840. It also stated that in 1827 a stone building was erected on this location by the East Greenwich Manufacturing Company.
The application for the historic district (link below) lists the mill on page 10 and has the following on page 40:
"83 [King Street] Bay Mill/Shore Mill (ca 184/1865)...Originally a cotton textile mill, in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the mill housed and elastic braid company, then a jewelry and instrument case manufacturer. A well-preserved example of Rhode Island industrial architecture, it has been recently rehabilitated for use as a residential building."
I could not find out how long each business lasted. In general, manufacturing did not last long in East Greenwich.
Other Source:
RI Preservation Historical Commission (Survey: East Greenwich):
(
visit link)