Eclipse Mill

Text

Harvey Arnold with his brother Oliver and his friend Nathanial Blinn built the Eclipse Mill in the 1830s and began manufacturing cotton goods. The three owned Eclipse and Slater mill by the mid-1830s. Things went bad for the company during a financial depression when the company fell heavily in debt. John F. Arnold, the youngest brother, helped his two brothers out of debt. In 1843, the three Arnold brothers combined three mills into one which was called Eclipse Mill.

As the brothers became interested in printing and finishing cotton they hired Union Print Works in 1844. In 1856, Union Print Works was purchased by another company, and the Arnolds made a deal with the company to supply cloth for five years. Soon after, the Arnolds built a dedicated print works on Marshall Street, which began operation in 1863. In 1896, the mill was rebuilt and enlarged. The mill was rebuilt again eight years later which doubled the size of the mill.

By 1907, due to economic problems, the operation of the mill was reduced and the mill was sold to William Butler. Butler came up with a plan in 1919 to replace old structures which were considered unsafe. In 1929 the Eclipse Mill became part of the Associated Textile Corporation. The same year due to economic difficulties the company Hoosac Cotton started selling property that was considered not worth the cost. One of the properties in 1933 was bought for $105,000, which was $2,000 dollars more than its value.

When the economy recovered, Rayon, a manufacturer of synthetic fabric, started production, continuing through World War II. In January of 1945 the Hoosac Mill was put on sale and it was bought by Steven Reality. Gevaert Company of America bought it in 1947 to store flammable material but had a hard time gaining permission to store their materials. Sprague Electric bought the building for storage in 1957; in the 1970s it was purchased by Hunter Outdoor Products.

After a period of ownership by the Community Development Corporation, at the dawn of a new century a new chapter opened in the history of the Eclipse Mill: Eric Rudd, artist and businessman, purchased the mill and invested millions of dollars in creating 40 living and working spaces. Today the Eclipse Mill is home to many residents and small businesses.