Welcome to your final stop: the site of the once-mighty Cowan Mill. Imagine yourself by the Androscoggin River in the 1850s-the hum of spinning machines fills the air, while workers bustle in and out of this grand, 4-story Greek Revival building. It was built in 1850, rising right from the ashes of Lewiston’s first textile mill, which burned down in a fiery blaze just months before. David Cowan, the man behind the mill, was so involved in city life he served as Lewiston’s mayor not once, but twice-talk about multitasking! For over 150 years, the mill stood as a symbol of industry and resilience, eventually earning a spot on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. But in a twist that could rival the best detective novels, the Cowan Mill met a mysterious end-swept away by a suspicious fire one July night in 2009. Within six days, it was declared unsafe and torn down, leaving behind only memories and perhaps a few ghostly echoes of spinning looms. Though it’s gone, its legacy is woven tightly into Lewiston’s history. Just don’t try spinning any yarns in there now-unless you want to chat with the ghosts of millworkers past!
Stop 21 of 22
