Savage Mill - Savage MD - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com

National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination Form

Savage Mill is an important early-19th century industrial landmark. It is one of the oldest known surviving textile mills in Maryland, providing physical evidence that New England did not monopolize that industry in the 19th century. In fact, cotton production began in Maryland as early as 1808.

The extensive additions to the original stone mill illustrate the growth of one participant in the industry which in the late 19th century counted on Maryland for the majority of the nation’s cotton duck. The site of Savage Mill on the rapids of the Little Patuxent River had been used for mill operations since the mid 18th century. In the early 1820s the Savage Manufacturing Company purchased the site, erected a factory, and installed machinery. John Savage of Philadelphia funded the company which still bears his name.
The complex then included a mill, 500 acres of land, a warehouse, a flour mill, and a saw mill. When the company began producing cotton duck, 22 other Maryland factories were engaged in the same activity. By 1825 the mill employed 200 people including women and children, and 120 power looms. The complex included several additions: a grist mill, an iron foundry, and a machine shop.

The company was sold to William H. Baldwin, Jr. in 1847, who owned the firm Woodward, Baldwin and Company, a well established Baltimore dry goods marketing company. Under Baldwin's management the enterprise at Savage prospered. The iron foundry resumed operations concentration in the production of cotton machinery. In the early 20th century, the company became Baldwin, Leslie and Company, and the mill was expanded in anticipation of wartime needs.

By 1941 the company employed 325 people. Under wartime production the mill produced 400,000 pounds of cotton duck a month. In 1948 the mill closed, and in the 1950s it spent a brief period being used to manufacture Christmas ornaments before closing permanently. The mill has now been converted for use as a series of artists studios, shops, antiques stores, and a restaurant.

Street address: 8600 Foundry Street Savage, MD United States 20763 County / Borough / Parish: Howard County Year listed: 1974 Historic (Areas of) Significance: Event Periods of significance: 1900-1924, 1875-1899, 1850-1874, 1825-1849, 1800-1824 Historic function: Industry/Processing/Extraction Current function: Commerce/Trade, Work In Progress Privately owned?: yes Primary Web Site: [Web Link] Secondary Website 1: [Web Link] Season start / Season finish: Not listed Hours of operation: Not listed Secondary Website 2: Not listed National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed

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Date Logged Log User Rating   01/28/2022 littleblkdog visited it 09/06/2021 Searcher28 visited it 08/31/2021 Don.Morfe visited it

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