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Fourth privilege

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Main article: 7 South Stone Mill Drive
Detail of Stone Mill condo showing "1835" stone

The fourth mill privilege, located at present-day Stone Mill Drive just downstream from the third, was established in 1787 by Aaron Whiting, Joseph Whiting Jr., and Paul Moses.[1][2][3][a] The property had originally been part of the 1682 grant that created the third privilege, but at some point the land rights reverted to the town.[3] Just two days after acquiring the land and water rights for £6, the partners sold or leased a quarter share to Captain Joshua Witherle for £25, earning a profit of more than 1,500%.[3][b]

A second mill was soon constructed and linked to the same water wheel as the first, producing wire for the young nation’s developing textile industry.[2][5] After the first mill burned in 1809, it was rebuilt with a new foundation and raceway.[2]

Throughout the 19th century, the fourth privilege hosted a wide variety of industries, including the production of copper cents, paper, cotton, wool, carpets, and handkerchiefs.[6][1] The site often supported multiple mills, some of which failed within months. Ownership of the buildings, businesses, and water rights changed hands frequently, eventually shifting from local to outside investors.[6]

The 1835 stone mill built by the Norfolk Manufacturing Company still stands and was converted into a condominium complex in 1986–87.[7]

Joshua Witherle

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In 1787, the Great and General Court of Massachusetts authorized the creation of a state currency.[3] Captain Joshua Witherle was appointed Master of the Mint and constructed a mint house behind his Boston residence.[3] To support the effort, he also built a rolling mill at the fourth privilege of Mother Brook.[3] There, he melted copper—much of it repurposed from Revolutionary War-era cannons and mortars—and cast it into ingots.[3] The ingots were transported to Dedham, where they were rolled into plates, then returned to Boston to be struck and stamped into one-cent coins.[3]

Although Witherle assured the Commonwealth in May 1787 that he was "ready... immediately to proceed," no coins had been produced by January 1788.[8] When summoned by the Governor's Council, he cited difficulties in sourcing appropriate materials and training workers for what was then a novel industry in Massachusetts.[8]

Mann and Poor

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In April 1799, Herman Mann and Daniel Poor leased a mill at the fourth privilege and began operating a paper manufacturing business.[2][9][4] Their partnership was short-lived, lasting only six months, after which Poor continued the operation on his own.[10] In 1801, the mill was sold at a sheriff's auction, likely due to Poor defaulting on the lease.[10]

George Bird

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In 1804, George Bird, a seasoned paper manufacturer originally from Maine, acquired the fourth privilege mill at a sheriff's auction following the financial default of Daniel Poor.[10] Bird rebuilt the mill after it burned down in 1809 and resumed paper production.[2][9] Around the same time, he partnered with Ruggles Whiting to manufacture wire until 1814.[10]

Bird then leased the mill to Arnold Wells of Dorchester, who used the site for nail production until 1819.[10] That year, Bird purchased all the buildings, water rights, and land associated with the fourth privilege for $8,000, consolidating his ownership of the site.[10] While continuing to operate a paper mill, he leased part of the facility to Jabez Chickering for a wool carding operation managed by an Englishman known only as Mr. Miller.[11]

Barrow's Mill

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During the American Civil War, mills across the North lost access to Southern cotton due to a Confederate embargo and a Union Navy blockade.[12] In response, many quickly transitioned to wool production to meet federal demand for uniforms, blankets, and other military supplies.[12]

Thomas Barrows, who had previously made his fortune in woolen manufacturing along Mother Brook, came out of retirement to purchase the former Norfolk Cotton Manufacturing Company’s mill at the fourth privilege.[13] Idle since the war began, the facility—once popularly known as Taft's Mill—became known as Barrow’s Mill.[13]

Barrows expanded the original 1835 building with a new wing built at a right angle and constructed of matching Dedham Granite.[13] He also installed a Corliss steam engine and outfitted the mill to handle wool instead of cotton.[14]

By 1868, the mill produced only woolen cassimere.[15] Following the war, however, demand for wool dropped amid economic depression and market oversupply.[15] Barrows ultimately sold the mill to the Merchants Woolen Company, which was already operating across the other privileges along Mother Brook.[15]

Storrs & Company

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In 1875, Royal O. Storrs, previously the overseer of the Merchants Woolen Mill, purchased the facility along with 13 acres of land, tenements, storehouses, and water rights to the fourth privilege.[16] He paid Charles and Edgar Harding $60,000 and renamed the enterprise Storrs & Company.[16] The mill produced beaver cloth and cassimere, with Patrick O. Kirk appointed as overseer of the Bussey Street facility at the first privilege.[17]

In 1882, Storrs was found to have falsified financial records and accumulated $437,500 in debt.[18][19][20] He declared bankruptcy before a standing-room-only audience at the Norfolk County Courthouse.[18] A sheriff was appointed to oversee operations until the remaining inventory was exhausted.[18]

Storrs later settled out of court, and by March 1883, the Merchants Woolen Company—now operating under the name Norfolk Mills—had regained ownership of the property.[18]

Cochrane Mill

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The Cochrane Manufacturing Company, owned by J. Eugene Cochrane of Malden, purchased the stone mill in 1897.[21] The company produced and dyed carpets, lace curtains, and handkerchiefs.[22]

Over the next six years, the facilities were expanded and modernized. In addition to constructing new brick and wooden buildings, the company added a granite extension to the original mill using locally quarried Dedham Granite.[21] The use of the more costly stone suggests the building was already regarded as a local landmark.[21]

The company also raised the dam by eight feet to increase water power, and it unified the third and fourth privileges.[21]

On April 4, 1911, a fire broke out and destroyed the original 1835 gambrel roof and the 1863 mansard roof on the wing.[21] At the time, 25 women were inside the mill on their lunch break, including one napping on the third floor; all escaped unharmed.[23] Within 30 minutes, the main building was engulfed in flames, and sparks ignited the roofs of nearby structures.[24]

The mill was quickly rebuilt, though with flat roofs and without its original bell cupola.[23] It later closed during the Great Depression.[23]

United Waste Company

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In 1937, the United Waste Company, owned by Benjamin Segal, purchased the mill.[23] The facility was adapted to reprocess wool and mixed fibers into padding and shoddy—a practice described as "the lowest end of textile manufacturing," reflecting the overall decline of the industry in New England by that time.[23] A second major fire occurred at the mill on May 2, 1984.[23]

Condominiums

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Two years after the 1984 fire, the building was purchased by the Bergmeyer Development Company.[23] The company rebuilt the gambrel roof and restored the bell tower cupola, though the mansard roof was not replaced.[25] While the interior was converted into condominiums, the exterior was designed to resemble its 18th-century appearance.[23]

Fourth privilege chronological chart

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The fourth privilege's first mill was located at present day Stone Mill Drive. There were multiple mills at this location over the years, sometimes with several operating simultaneously.[26][c]

Year Owner Manager Product Notes Image
~1787-January 1789[2][4] Captain Joshue Witherle Copper blanks to be turned into pennies[d] Joseph Whiting, Jr., Paul Moses, Aaron Whiting were granted the land by the town, and they either sold or leased a portion to Witherle.
After January 1789-1807[4][e] Captain Joshue Witherle Wire for wool cards
April 1799-April 1801[2][9][4] Herman Mann and Daniel Poor Paper The partnership between Mann and Poor only lasted six months.[10] Poor ran the mill alone until 1801 when it was auctioned off in a sheriff's sale, presumably for defaulting on the lease.[10]
1804[2][9] George Bird[f] Bird purchased the mill at auction after Poor lost it.[10] Burned and rebuilt in 1809.
~1804[2][9]- 1814[10] Ruggles Whiting Wire
1814-1819[10][2][9] Arnold Wells[g] Nails
1819[2] George Bird Paper Bird already owned the first mill at the fourth privilege
1819-1826[28] Jabez Chickering, lessor;[11] Mr. Miller, superindendent[28][h] Wool carding Bird had been quietly buying up land along Mother Brook. In 1819, he bought all of the waterpower, buildings, and land at the fourth privilege for $8,000.[10] For a time, he leased one building there to Jabez Chickering for a carding mill.[10] This was done in the former nail factory.
1823[2][29] George Bird and Frederick A. Taft, Norfolk Manufacturing Company Calvin Guild[i] Cotton Taft was an experienced cotton manufacturer from Uxbridge, Massachusetts.[27] He consolidated several properties at the site in the 1820s using investors from Boston and gave control to his brother, Ezra W. Taft, a Dedham resident.[27] By 1827, between 200 and 300 workers produced 50 to 60 bolts of cloth each week.[27] The machines ran 14 hours a day.[27] Used the machinery of the Norfolk Cotton Factory at the first privilege.
1830[2] Norfolk Manufacturing Company John Lemist and Frederick A. Taft The paper mill burned again in 1832 and 1843. It was the fourth mill to burn on the same site.[4]
1832[31] John Lemist and Ezra W. Taft In 1835, the stone mill which now stands upon the site was erected using Dedham Granite[27] and was supplied with new machinery for the manufacture of cotton goods.[31] The original building stood three stories high and measured 100' long by 40' wide.[27] It had a gable roof with a clerestory monitor that brought light into the attic.[27] The stone bell tower was capped with columns supporting a domed cupola.[27] The Corporation prospered under Mr Taft's management.[31] By the middle of the century it was producing 650,000 yards of cotton a year.[27] Ezra W. Taft continued to be the agent and manager of the corporation for about 30 years.[31] An unused building nearby was used by Edward Holmes and Thomas Dunbar beginning in 1846 for their wheelwright business using steam power.[32] Taft's paper mill burned on July 17, 1846.[33]
~1835[34][35][36] James Reed and Ezra W. Taft
1863[37][29] Thomas Barrows[j] Wool Barrows enlarged the mill[37][36] and installed turbines and a steam engine.[40]
1872[37] Merchants Woolen Company
1875[37] Royal O. Storrs and Frederick R. Storrs[k] Went out of business
1882[37] Merchants Woolen Company
1894[41][29] J. Eugene Cochrane Carpets and handkerchiefs Third and fourth privileges under common ownership
1897[42] Cochrane Manufacturing Company Norfolk Mills
Map showing the mill from 1903
After 1917[40][43][44] Closed
Map showing the mill from 1917
Before 1927[45][46][47] into at least the 1930s[36] United Waste Company Shoddy wool, reclaimed fabric,[47] and cloth recycling[40] This was the final industrial use of the property.[29]
1986[40][48][36][7] Bergmeyer Development Co. Re-purposed for 86 condominiums[l] Purchase price was $1.6 million.[40] A 25' waterfall runs through the complex.[49] Fires burned various sections of the complex in the 1980s.[50]
Present day Stone Mill Condominiums[1][50]
Mother Brook with Stone Mill Condos
Centennial Dam and Stone Mill condos
Stone Mill condos

The fourth privilege's second mill was located at present day Stone Mill Drive.

Year Owner Manager Product Notes Image


  1. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference hub was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Worthington 1900, p. 6.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Neiswander 2024, p. 21.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Neiswander 2024, p. 23.
  5. ^ Tritsch 1986, p. 13.
  6. ^ a b Neiswander 2024, p. 20.
  7. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference celebration was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ a b Neiswander 2024, p. 22.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g Hanson 1976, p. 195.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Neiswander 2024, p. 25.
  11. ^ a b Neiswander 2024, p. 25, 47.
  12. ^ a b Neiswander 2024, p. 72.
  13. ^ a b c Neiswander 2024, p. 74.
  14. ^ Neiswander 2024, pp. 74–75.
  15. ^ a b c Neiswander 2024, p. 76.
  16. ^ a b Neiswander 2024, p. 91.
  17. ^ Neiswander 2024, pp. 91–92.
  18. ^ a b c d Neiswander 2024, p. 92.
  19. ^ a b c d e f g h Cite error: The named reference stone3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  20. ^ Cite error: The named reference storrs was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  21. ^ a b c d e Neiswander 2024, p. 128.
  22. ^ Neiswander 2024, p. 128, 129.
  23. ^ a b c d e f g h Neiswander 2024, p. 129.
  24. ^ Neiswander 2024, p. 128–129.
  25. ^ Neiswander 2024, pp. 129–130.
  26. ^ Neiswander 2024, p. 20, 23, 25.
  27. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Cite error: The named reference judy3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  28. ^ a b c Neiswander 2024, p. 47.
  29. ^ a b c d Dedham Historical Society 2001, p. 38.
  30. ^ a b Neiswander 2024, p. 26.
  31. ^ a b c d Worthington 1900, pp. 6–7.
  32. ^ Clarke 1903, p. 1.
  33. ^ Clarke 1903, p. 13.
  34. ^ Worthington 1900, p. 7.
  35. ^ Tritsch 1986, p. 14.
  36. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference NMCCM was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  37. ^ a b c d e Worthington 1900, p. 12.
  38. ^ Tritsch 1986, p. 35.
  39. ^ Cite error: The named reference parr was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  40. ^ a b c d e f Cite error: The named reference neglected was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  41. ^ Worthington 1900, pp. 12–13.
  42. ^ Worthington 1900, p. 13.
  43. ^ Cite error: The named reference sit was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  44. ^ Cite error: The named reference sanborn1917-2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  45. ^ Cite error: The named reference sanborn1927 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  46. ^ Davison 1948, p. 1068.
  47. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference six was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  48. ^ Cite error: The named reference units was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  49. ^ Cite error: The named reference cleanup was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  50. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference judy5 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).


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