Faulkner Mills - Water Mills on Waymarking.com

Faulkner Mills was at a crucial junction of waterways in the early 1800s. Not only were the Mills on the Concord River, a source of water power, but they were also at the highest point of the Middlesex Canal. The canal was the longest early American canal, dug entirely by hand and explosives, reaching over 20 miles from Boston at the southeast end to Lowell and the Merrimack River in the north. This canal would prove to be an important link for commerce in the early 1800s, before the advent of the railroads. The canal was the transport mechanism for lumber from New Hampshire, textiles from Lowell, and passengers from Boston.

The first successful dam at the site dates back to 1708, and according to one source, "by the end of the 18th century there were five grist mills, three saw mills and one fulling mill at work here." New dams were constructed around 1800 and 1828.

Francis Faulkner did not create the mill at the site - he found a failing mill there in 1811, which he leased. He found success in textiles, and despite an 1818 fire, flourished, expanding his operation. Another fire in 1836 would prompt another rebuilding, this time in the red brick seen at the site today.

The textile operations continued until 1987, forced out of business by foreign competition. The buildings have been repurposed however, and now host offices, light manufacturing, and museums, including the Middlesex Canal Museum, a recommended stop for learning more about the area's history.