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Title
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Harnessing the Sauquoit: The A.T. Stewart Woolen Mill
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Description
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The A.T. Stewart Woolen Mill, which operated from 1840 to 1879, was the primary 19th-century industrial anchor of the hamlet of Washington Mills. Originally built by Frederick Hollister, and later acquired by retail magnate A.T. Stewart, this massive stone factory was the "mill" that, along with the nearby Union Fork and Hoe factory, formed the industrial cluster that gave the hamlet its name. As a textile factory, it was the economic engine of the community, employing a large portion of the population to produce woolen goods. Its entire operation was dictated by the Sauquoit Creek, which it first harnessed with dams and millraces to power its machinery. As the mill shifted to steam and coal, the creek then became its industrial sewer, carrying away a toxic cocktail of chemical dyes, lye, and other manufacturing waste.
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Date
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1840 – 1879
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Location - Physical Location
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10000 Kellogg Rd, New Hartford, NY 13413
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Name
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Adrian Lizardo
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cites
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Beers, D.G. & Co. "Washington Mills, New York" (inset map). In Atlas of Oneida County, New York. Philadelphia: D.G. Beers & Co., 1874. David Rumsey Historical Map Collection. https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~256300~5520321. New Hartford Historical Society. "Villages/Hamlets." Accessed November 9, 2025. https://www.newhartfordhistory.com/villages-hamlets. Oneida County NYGenWeb. "History of Towns & Villages in Oneida County New York." Accessed November 9, 2025. https://oneida.nygenweb.net/towns/village_town.html.
