My October 19, 2023 look at the Phoenix Mills (through the lens of “preservation by neglect“) incited some interesting feedback. I’m planning a post to pass along some interesting new tidbits including the building’s name. (Think about the concept of “phoenix from ashes“, a myth that resonates with me personally and that surfaces frequently in Rosslyn Redux posts.) The interest in this industrial artifact with which so many are familiar prompts to share a pair of followup posts. Today we’ll look at Willsboro Mills circa 1912 including W.D. Ross’s grist mill, the saw mill, and the paper mill. And a subsequent post will focus specifically on the Willsborough Grist Mill.
The inspiration for today’s post is this cinematic photograph of all three mills.
View from dam on the Bouquet River at Willsboro in the Adirondack Mountains. A saw mill, grist mill and paper mill line side of the river and a railroad can be seen running behind paper mill.
(Source: Digital Collections | New York State Archives, 1912, New York (State) Education Dept., Division of Visual Instruction, Instructional lantern slides, A3045, no. 10294)<