Historic Mill Complex Preserved & Put to Work
Published on Monday, May 05, 2025
The Arctic Mill in West Warwick recognized for its national significance
(Warwick, RI) Another Rhode Island textile mill has been successfully nominated to the National Register of Historic Places for its significance to American industrial history. The newly designated Arctic Mill Historic District in West Warwick protects the heart of this historic mill village. Rhode Island is hardly new to mill redevelopment, which has become something of a preservation calling card for our state. The National Register is the official list of places and objects of significance in American history, architecture, and culture.
The Arctic Mill Historic District (1852-68) is associated with two of the largest textile manufacturers in United States history: the A. & W. Sprague Manufacturing Company, which constructed the mill in 1852, and B. B. & R. Knight, Inc., which owned the property from 1884-1935. Today, the Arctic Mill district is composed of 11 buildings and structures – including the main mill building, a dam and bridge infrastructure, assorted storehouses and offices, and an old company store. From its founding, the mill produced cotton cloth for some of the largest textile companies in the United States such as A. W. Sprague Manufacturing, B. B. & Knight Inc., and American Tourister.
Arctic Mill remained in industrial use until the 1980s, far longer than most other textile and manufacturing companies in Rhode Island. Until the Natco Corporation ceased manufacturing on the site in 1985, Arctic Mill served as a tangible reminder of the primacy of industry this part of the state.
“The Arctic Mill played a critical role in the historical development of West Warwick, and it is very gratifying to have the property’s significance recognized by the National Register,” says Joanna Doherty, Deputy Director of the RIHPHC. “In addition, the mill’s redevelopment into much-needed housing demonstrates the economic benefits of historic preservation and shows how old buildings can be transformed to serve new uses.”
With the assistance of the Federal Historic Tax program, Knight Street Capital redeveloped Arctic Mill into 136 units of market-rate and workforce housing, and the new apartment complex opened in 2023. The mill’s successful nomination to the National Register protects important architectural features of the mill complex, even as its use changes.
In addition to honoring a property or district for its contribution to local, state, or national history, listing on the National Register of Historic Places provides additional benefits. It results in special consideration during the planning of Federal or federally assisted projects and makes properties eligible for Federal and Rhode Island financial incentives for historic rehabilitation projects.