# Mill town

A mill town, also known as factory town or mill village, is typically a settlement that developed around one or more mills or factories, often cotton mills or factories producing textiles.

## Europe
### Italy

* Crespi d'Adda, UNESCO World Heritage Site
* Nuovo quartiere operaio in Schio
* Villaggio Leumann a Collegno
* Villaggio Frua in Saronno
* Villaggio operaio della Filatura in Tollegno

### Poland
#### Żyrardów

The town grew out of a textile factory founded in 1833 by the sons of Feliks Lubienski, who owned the land where it was built. They brought in a specialist from France and his newly designed machines. He was French inventor, Philippe de Girard from Lourmarin. He became a director of the firm. The factory town developed during the 19th century into a significant textile mill town in Poland. In honour of Girard, 'Ruda Guzowska' as the original estate was called, was renamed Żyrardów, a toponym derived of the polonised spelling of Girard's name.
Most of Żyrardów's monuments are located in the manufacturing area which dates from the 19th and early 20th centuries. It is widely believed that Żyrardów's textile settlement is the only entire urban industrial complex from the 19th-century to be preserved in Europe.

### Russian Empire

* Bogorodsk-Glukhovo factory
* Nikolskoye, Vladimir Governorate

### United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, the term "mill town" usually refers to the 19th-century textile manufacturing towns of northern England and the Scottish Lowlands, particularly those in Lancashire (cotton) and Yorkshire (wool).
Some former mill towns have a symbol of the textile industry in their town badge. Some towns may have statues dedicated to textile workers (e.g. Colne) or have a symbol in the badge of local schools (e.g. Ossett School).
| County | Towns |
| Cheshire mill towns | Congleton, Crewe, Macclesfield |
| Derbyshire mill towns | Glossop, Hadfield, New Mills |
| Greater Manchester mill towns | Ashton-under-Lyne, Bolton, Bury, Chadderton, Failsworth, Heywood, Hyde, Lees, Leigh, Manchester, Middleton, Oldham, Radcliffe, Ramsbottom, Reddish, Rochdale, Royton, Shaw and Crompton, Stalybridge, Stockport, Wigan |
| Lancashire mill towns | Accrington, Bacup, Barnoldswick, Blackburn, Burnley, Calder Vale, Chorley, Colne, Darwen, Nelson, Oakenclough, Padiham, Preston for others see table below. |
| Yorkshire mill towns | Batley, Bingley, Bradford, Brighouse, Cleckheaton, Dewsbury, Elland, Halifax, Hebden Bridge, Heckmondwike, Holmfirth, Huddersfield, Keighley, Morley, Mytholmroyd, Ossett, Pudsey, Shipley, Skipton, Sowerby Bridge, Todmorden, Yeadon |
The list above includes some towns where textiles was not the predominant industry. For example, mining was a key industry in Wigan and Leigh in Greater Manchester, and in Ossett in Yorkshire.
Spindleage of some large mill towns in and around Greater Manchester between 1830 and 1962 :
| Date | 1883 | 1893 | 1903 | 1913 | 1923 | 1926 | 1933 | 1944 | 1953 | 1962 |
| Accrington | 590 | 438 | 467 | 660 | 191 | 718 | 469 | 287 | 152 | 92 |
| Ashton | 1,574 | 1,731 | 1,781 | 1,955 | 1898 | 1,144 | 644 | 633 | 182 |
| Blackburn | 1,671 | 1,398 | 1,321 | 1,280 | 1,224 | 1,071 | 672 | 451 | 309 | 103 |
| Bolton | 4,086 | 4,770 | 5,457 | 6,797 | 7,371 | 7,842 | 7,507 | 6,204 | 4,886 | 1,772 |
| Burnley | 1,126 | 734 | 667 | 563 | 538 | 507 | 240 | 182 | 144 | 14 |
| Bury | 875 | 899 | 833 | 955 | 1050 | 1000 | 745 | 630 | 524 | 268 |
| Chorley | 552 | 527 | 541 | 856 | 838 | 837 | 739 | 491 | 397 | 122 |
| Farnworth | 557 | 779 | 966 | 1,485 | 1,478 | 1,484 | 1,344 | 1,237 | 1,104 | 162 |
| Glossop | 1,106 | 1,158 | 968 | 882 | 821 | 839 | 524 | 204 | 154 | 10 |
| Heywood | 660 | 887 | 836 | 1,070 | 1,100 | 1,096 | 864 | 545 | 533 | 68 |
| Hyde | 590 | 499 | 533 | 741 | 793 | 696 | 475 | 366 | 337 | 58 |
| Leigh | 1,337 | 1,514 | 1,679 | 2,445 | 2,761 | 2,925 | 2,891 | 2,615 | 2,336 | 548 |
| Manchester | 2,445 | 2,353, | 2,225 | 3,703 | 3,307 | 3,439 | 3,417 | 2,974 | 1,934 | 271 |
| Middleton | 498 | 494 | 645 | 1,278 | 1,268 | 1,252 | 1,041 | 1,193 | 923 | 161 |
| Mossley | 1,153 | 1,217 | 1,033 | 1,288 | 1,297 | 1,289 | 371 | 264 | 256 | - |
| Oldham | 9,311 | 11,159 | 12,230 | 16,909 | 17,231 | 17,669 | 13,732 | 8,948 | 7,621 | 2,478 |
| Preston | 2,146 | 1,883 | 2,074 | 2,161 | 1,997 | 1,965 | 1,592 | 1,146 | 1,024 | 278 |
| Rochdale | 1,627 | 1,835 | 2,422 | 3,645 | 3,749 | 3,793 | 3,539 | 2,459 | 1,936 | 983 |
| Stalybridge | 1,083 | 1,157 | 1,027 | 1,236 | 1,104 | 1,103 | 801 | 483 | 426 | 122 |
| Stockport | 1,601 | 1,742 | 1,568 | 2,266 | 2,382 | 1,924 | 1,427 | 1,141 | 154 |
| Wigan | 864 | 775 | 888 | 1,085 | 1,123 | 1,141 | 922 | 681 | 575 | 352 |
On his tour of northern England in 1849, Scottish publisher Angus Reach said:
   In general, these towns wear a monotonous sameness of aspect, physical and moral ... In fact, the social condition of the different town populations is almost as much alike as the material appearance of the tall chimneys under which they live. Here and there the height of the latter may differ by a few rounds of brick, but in all essential respects, a description of one is a description of all.

## North America
### United States
#### New England and Northeast

Beginning with Samuel Slater and technological information smuggled out of England by Francis Cabot Lowell, large mills were established in New England in the early to mid-19th century. Mill towns, sometimes planned, built and owned as a company town, grew in the shadow of the industries. The region became a manufacturing powerhouse along rivers like the Housatonic, Quinebaug, Shetucket, Blackstone, Merrimack, Nashua, Cocheco, Saco, Androscoggin, Kennebec or Winooski.
In the 20th century, alternatives to water power were developed, and it became more profitable for companies to manufacture textiles in southern states where cotton was grown and winters did not require significant heating costs. Finally, the Great Depression acted as a catalyst that sent several struggling New England firms into bankruptcy.
| State | Towns |
| Connecticut mill towns | Ansonia, Bridgeport, Bristol, Collinsville, Danbury, Derby, East Windsor, Enfield, Glastonbury, Hartford, Killingly, Madison, Manchester, Meriden, Middletown, Milford, Naugatuck, New Britain, New Haven, New London, Norwich, Putnam, Sandy Hook, Seymour, Shelton, Torrington, Vernon, Waterbury, Willimantic, Winchester, Windham, Windsor Locks |
| Maine mill towns | Anson, Auburn, Augusta, Baileyville, Biddeford, Brunswick, Chisholm, Corinna, Lewiston, Lincoln, Lisbon Falls, Livermore Falls, Millinocket, Milo, Newport, Old Town, Orono, Pittsfield, Portland, Rumford, Saco, Sanford, Skowhegan, Waterville, Westbrook, Wilton |
| Massachusetts mill towns See also: List of mill towns in Massachusetts | Adams, Amesbury, Athol, Attleboro, Boston, Chicopee, Clinton, Dalton, Dedham, Fall River, Fitchburg, Framingham, Gardner, Grafton, Greenfield, Haverhill, Holyoke, Hopesdale, Hudson, Lawrence, Lowell, Ludlow, Lynn, Maynard, Medford, Merrimac, Methuen, Milford, Millbury, Monson, New Bedford, North Adams, North Andover, Northbridge, Orange, Palmer, Peabody, Pittsfield, Rowley, Russell, Southbridge, Springfield, Taunton, Uxbridge, Waltham, Ware, Webster, Westborough, Winchendon, Worcester |
| New Hampshire mill towns | Belmont, Berlin, Claremont, Concord, Dover, East Rochester, Franklin, Gonic, Gorham, Greenville, Groveton, Harrisville, Jaffrey, Keene, Laconia, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lincoln, Manchester, Milford, Milton, Nashua, Newmarket, Newport, Penacook, Pittsfield, Rochester, Rollinsford, Somersworth, Suncook, Tilton, Troy, Wilton |
| New Jersey mill towns | Allaire, Allentown, Bernards, Boonton, Butler, Camden, Chester, Clinton, Cranbury, Cranford, Dover, Eatontown, Elizabeth, Freehold, Griggstown, Helmetta, Hillsborough, Imlaystown, Jamesburg, Kearny, Kingston, Little Falls, Manville, Medford, Millhurst, Milltown, Millville, New Brunswick, Newark, Orange, Paterson, Perth Amboy, Plainfield, Prallsville, Rahway, Raritan, Roselle Park, Smithville, South Brunswick, Stillwater, Tinton Falls, Trenton, Walnford, Wharton, Woodbridge |
| New York mill towns | Albany, Amsterdam, Aurora-on-Cayuga, Beacon, Belmont, Bloomvale, Buffalo, Clinton, Corning, Gardiner, Ithaca, Kingston, Little Falls, Marlboro, Mechanicville, Middletown, Montgomery, New Berlin, New York Mills, Newburgh, Newcomb, Niles, Philmont, Poughkeepsie, Rochester, Rome, Roslyn, Saddle Rock, Schenectady, Schuylerville, Sleepy Hollow, Stony Brook, Sunset Park, Syracuse, Troy, Utica, Victory, Water Mill |
| Rhode Island mill towns | Bristol, Burrillville, Central Falls, Coventry, Cumberland, Lincoln, Pawtucket, Providence, Slatersville, Valley Falls, West Warwick, Westerly, Woonsocket |
| Vermont mill towns | Bellows Falls, Bethel, Brattleboro, Bridgewater, Burlington, Ludlow, Newport, Springfield, Vergennes, Winooski |
* Assawaga Mill, Dayville, CT, in 1909
* American Thread Co. Mill, Willimantic, CT, c. 1910
* Hollingsworth & Whitney Paper Mill, Waterville, ME, c. 1920
* Cumberland Mills, Westbrook, ME, c. 1902
* Mill Street, Attleboro, MA, in 1908
* Arlington Mills, Lawrence, MA, in 1907
* Merrimack Falls, Lawrence, MA, c. 1905
* Amoskeag Mills, Manchester, NH, c. 1912
* Jackson Mills, Nashua, NH, in 1907
* Alice Mills, Woonsocket, RI, in 1911
* Colchester Mills, Winooski, VT, in 1907

#### Midwest

| State | Towns |
| Wisconsin mill towns | Biron (Biron Mill) |

#### South

| State | Towns |
| Alabama mill towns | Fairfax (Fairfax Mill and Fair View Mill), Lanett (Lanett Mill), Langdale (Langdale Mill), Sylacauga (Avondale Mill), Opelika (Opelika Mill), River View (Riverdale Mill), Shawmut (Shawmut Mill), Valley (Carter/Lanier Mill) |
| Arkansas mill towns | Amity, Beirne, Calion, Crossett, Delight, Dierks, Glenwood, Jones Mill, Malvern, Mountain Pine |
| Georgia mill towns | Bibb City, Cabbagetown, Chicopee, Hogansville, New Holland, New Manchester |
| Maryland mill towns | Ellicott City, Jerusalem, Oella, Owings Mills, Savage |
| North Carolina mill towns | Alamance, Altamahaw, Bellemont, Burlington, Bynum, Canton, Caroleen, Carolina, Carrboro, Cliffside, Coleridge, Concord, Cooleemee, Cramerton, Drexel, Eden, Edgemont (East Durham), Enka, Falls, Franklinville, Glen Raven, Glencoe, Hanes, Haw River, Henrietta, High Falls, High Shoals, Hildebran, Hope Mills, Kannapolis, Long Shoals, Mayodan, McAdenville, Mooresville, Mount Holly, Oakdale, Ramseur, Rhodhiss, Riegelwood, Roanoke Rapids, Sawmills, Saxapahaw, Spencer Mountain, Swepsonville, West Durham, West Hillsborough |
| South Carolina mill towns | Cateechee, Central, Cherokee Falls, Columbia (Olympia and Granby Mills), Fort Mill, Glendale, Graniteville, Great Falls, Inman, Joanna, La France, Lockhart, Lyman, Newry, Pacolet Mills, Pelzer, Piedmont, Slater, Startex, Ware Shoals, Watts Mills, Whitmire |
* Model Mill Settlement, Chadwick Mills, Charlotte, N.C. Published c. 1905–1915
* White Oak Cotton Mills, Greensboro, N.C. c. 1914
* Aerial view of Ware Shoals Mill

### Sawmill towns

| State | Towns |
| Illinois | Carrier Mills, Harrisburg |
| Oregon | Roseburg |
| Washington | Longview |
| Wisconsin | Eau Claire |

## South America
### Colombia

* San José de Suaita