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About the Mill

Belknap Mill 1859
The Belknap Mill Building - 1859
The Belknap Mill is:

  • The Official Meetinghouse of New Hampshire.
  • The oldest unaltered brick textile mill in the U.S.
  • The only industrial knitting museum in the U.S.
  • The Lakes Region's year-round art and history center.
  • A four-story building incorporating a museum, art gallery, concert hall and event facilities.

Built in 1823, the Belknap Mill is the only building left that represents the first stage of the Industrial Revolution in America. It is the oldest, unaltered brick textile mill in the United States. The Belknap Mill was one of the first mills to convert from weaving to knitting during the Civil War.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Belknap Mill has been designated as the Official Meetinghouse of New Hampshire for the building's historical, architectural and geographical significance.

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Belknap Mill Society

The Belknap Mill operated as a textile factory until 1969 when the City of Laconia purchased the building from the owners as part of a plan to revitalize downtown. Because of the national significance of the building, local citizens worked with historic preservationists across the country to form a nonprofit organization to purchase the building, preserve it and maintain it as a cultural center. Preserving mill structures was a new field and most of Laconia's residents looked on the effort with skepticism. The Society acquired federal funds and raised more than $500,000 to acquire and preserve the building. The Belknap Mill Society was the first organization to receive federal funds and a national award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation for preserving an industrial structure. LIFE magazine, Yankee Magazine and even the cartoon strip Archie chronicled the effort.

Welcome to the Belknap Mill
In 1976, the Belknap Mill was designated as the Official Meetinghouse of New Hampshire because of the architectural, geographical and historical significance of the building. As the state's Official Meetinghouse, the Belknap Mill has hosted all of the presidential contenders in the national primaries.

In 1991, the Society opened the nation's first permanent exhibit on industrial knitting. Today, visitors see operating knitting machines, the 1918 hydroelectric power system, changing art and history exhibits and attend concerts and lectures.

Each year, the Society addresses goals in its long-range Conservation Plan, often using IMLS funds. Ten years ago, for example, IMLS funded $25,000 to replace the roof on the main building, repair exterior trim and conserve the three water-driven turbines.    [ Support the mill ]

Awards

Award from the Institute of Museum and Library Services
  • Adopted as Official Meetinghouse of New Hampshire by the State of New Hampshire in 1976
  • Official Project of Save America's Treasures, designated by the White House Millennium Commission (1999)
  • National Award for Museum Service from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (1998)
  • Walter J. Dunfey Award for Excellence in Management from the Corporate Fund of the NH Charitable Foundation (1991) - Cited in 1989 and 1990
  • Certificates of Commendation for Exhibits and Programs from the American Association for State and Local History (1994, 1998)
  • Honor Award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation (1981)

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Belknap Mill Society - The Mill Plaza - 25 Beacon Street East - Laconia, NH 03246 - (603) 524-8813
This site developed exclusively for the Belknap Mill Society by NSTATE, LLC

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