Mill Village Historic District

The Mill Village Historic District is a historic district encompassing a well-preserved 19th century mill village in Williamstown, Massachusetts. It is located on Cole Avenue and other streets east of Cole and south of the Hoosac River, which provided the mill's power. The original mill building was built in 1866 for a textile business operated by Williams College president Paul Chadbourne. The textile business operated until 1931, and was converted to the production of photographic paper in the 1940s. Demand for workers led to a shortage of housing in the area, and a number of tenement-style double housing units were built near the mill by the company. A number of civic buildings, including a church, store, and school were also built to see to the workers' needs. The village district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.